Makin Life in This Old World
by Rune-Spirit
Summary: A New York City girl takes her little sister to Bon Temps in search of her father and finds something entirely unexpected- secrets, love, and more; GodricxOFC with BillxSookie and a dash of EricxSookie. Also slight hints of EricxOFC, but not really.
1. Anthony D'Angelo

R_S: A New York City girl takes her little sister to Bon Temps in search of her father and finds something entirely unexpected; GodricxOFC with BillxSookie and a dash of EricxSookie. Also slight hints of EricxOFC, but not really.

* * *

'_I'm not the kind to take things for granted  
A simple mind and two strong working hands  
But at the time I thought my feet were planted  
You came along and uprooted this simple man  
A strong-willed woman with every chance to show it  
But I didn't mind 'cause you made my life worthwhile  
A beautiful woman with every reason to know it  
You liked my courage and honey I sure liked your style_

A country boy and city girl makin' life in this old world  
We went against the grain and against all odds  
It don't matter what they say, I'm gonna love you anyway  
And time won't undo what you've gone and done to my heart'

_Country Boy and City Girl_ by Clay Walker

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Anthony D'Angelo**

The air was hot, too hot, yet the fan was too cool. A little girl sat in the passenger's seat, her chestnut curls shining in red twilight's summer rays. Her tiny fingers clutched at her doll, smoothing its blond hair and moving its arms. Shining blue eyes were locked on the dolls matching set, still entertaining a child's fantasies that they might begin to shift on their own and gaze around with the same wonder she felt. That wonder, however, was beginning to fade. She had been sitting in the car for a long time, and it was testing her already limited youthful patience. She wanted to stretch her legs, empty her tiny, swollen bladder, and get a drink other than water. Turning, her round eyes regarded the woman next to her. She was barely a woman, not yet eighteen, driving steadily. Hair that in her youth had been identical to the little girl's was now darkened with age, less silky and more intense. The humidity of the swampy state had turned her chocolate brown ringlets into wild, untamable curls that fought to escape the messy bun. Her honey hazel eyes shined like liquid gold in the sun's rays but looked tired, eyelids drooping as they continued the lackadaisical ride. Her ipod was plugged in, playing a mix of softer songs (much of it coming from strangely named bands, like The Hush Sound and Owl City) that drifted lightly from the speakers, seemingly lulling the older female into an even deeper state of relaxation. Now was as good a time as any.

"Sissy," the girl called, her child-like voice chiming like little bells, "I need to go potty." Her sister started suddenly, jerking the wheel ever so slightly. After such an extended period of near silence, the interruption had been unexpected. She glanced out of the corner of her eye.

"How can you have to go again? We just stopped at… three-thirty… and now it's almost eight." her voice trailed off as her eyes fell on the digital clock on the dashboard, a sense of shame washing over her. A guilty sigh escaped her current guardian's full, pouting lips.

"I'm sorry, Ames, I must have lost track of time. Next decent place we pass, we'll pull over n' grab some dinner too, k?" That seemed to satisfy the passenger, for she nodded contentedly and continued to gaze out the window at the passing trees, and the older of the two thanked small favors that she was such a well-behaved child. They drove for another half hour in uneventful silence, not a single establishment in sight, and the kid had begun to squirm in her seat.

"Cecilia," she whined, "I _really_ gotta go!" The teen bit her lip nervously and nodded to her, desperately wracking her brain for a solution.

"I know, Amaryl, I'm sure we'll find some place soon… do you want me to pull over so you can go in the woods?"

The girl pulled a face, "Ew, I don't wanna go in the woods!" Cecilia rolled her eyes and increased her speed just a bit.

"Well then, you'll just have to hold it 'til we find someplace… There!" she slowed down and pointed to a sign by the roadside, "What does that say?" The child looked intently, squinted her blue eyes in concentration as she figured out the words.

"M-merl…"

"Merlotte's…" her sister prompted, hoping she pronounced the name correctly.

"Merlotte's Bar and Grill… five miles."

"Good. Do you think you can hold it for ten, fifteen minutes?" The child looked uncertain but agreed and settled back into her seat. Her sister pushed ten over the speed limit, hoping to reach the restaurant before there was an accident and silently pleading not to be stopped by a cop car. She kept her eyes peeled just in case.

When they finally reached Merlotte's, Cecilia was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't the seedy truck stop she had anticipated but what appeared to be a decent, respectable establishment, at least from the outside. She pulled into a parking space amid Amaryl's pleads for her to hurry, who she then had to remind to wait for her as she hopped out of the car before her sister was finished parking. Grabbing the child firmly by the hand, she chastised her half-heartedly as they entered. It was nice inside, quaint, with random booths, a bar, and a billiard's table. It was not crowded, certainly not so much that the two couldn't easily request a booth. First, however, the two moseyed up to the bar and addressed the two working behind it. One was an attractive but harsh looking black woman, probably in her mid-twenties, lazily cleaning a beer glass. The other was a handsome man, probably around thirty or so, just hanging up the phone. Cecilia felt just a bit of anxiety build up as they approached, mixed with the relief that her journey was near its end.

"Excuse me," she called politely, and the two stopped to regard both she and her sister curiously, "would you mind pointing us in the direction of the lady's room?"

The woman looked her up and down judgmentally while the man answered in a typical southern accent, "You're gonna have to buy something if you wanna use the facilities."

"Oh of course, we plan to stay for dinner, but it's been a pretty long car ride…" she smiled warmly and gestured to the little girl dancing awkwardly beside her. The man gave a slightly forced yet not unpleasant smile as he peered down at her.

"Well hello there, li'l lady."

"Hello, sir. Can I please use your bathroom?" He outright laughed at that, and even the sour faced woman behind the bar began to show the barest hint of an amused smile.

"Sure thing, darlin', just right through those doors." The scruffy man pointed a clearly marked door the two had previously overlooked. Her sister could have burst with pride over the child's adorableness, instead kneeling down to look her in the eyes.

"Do you think you can handle going by yourself?" The child nodded emphatically and took off as soon as her hand was freed, disappearing through the doorway. Cecilia waited until she was out of sight before she stood up, turning back to the employees. The handsome man had stopped his activities and was now leaning on the bar, his bright blue eyes boring into her. The woman continued to work but listened idly.

"Mighty cute kid y'got there, real polite. Where y'all from? And I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…" Before she could respond, a perky blond popped up next to her, setting down her tray on the counter.

"Sam, y'all gotta tell Jane Bodehouse that if she's gonna keep harassin' the younger male customers then she's gonna have to take her business elsewhere." She paused and looked over and the younger female beside her, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were talking to someone, how rude of me!" her accent was bubbly and cute, with more of a drawl than so-called Sam's.

"Oh," Cecilia blushed, "it's no problem." The waitress's smile only widened, as though pleased by humble response.

She stuck out her hand, "I'm Sookie."

"A pleasure." The brunette accepted politely with a firm grasp.

"Nice yankee accent ya got there, guess y'all ain't from around these parts." Cecilia almost smiled despite herself. It was amazing how similar and opposing the northern and southern American culture could be. It was friendly, and the woman was certainly sweet, but that incessant curiosity that bordered on nosiness showed through. Back home, no one gave a rat's ass about your business and left you alone, unless something you did affected them… or if they wanted to be better than you. Then they gave the same idle friendliness in an effort to learn about you. The difference was in this case it was pure curiosity and back home it was more about appraising the person and salacious gossip.

"No, I hail all the way from New York city."

"Huh," the man grunted, "ain't that something. The east coast is mighty far away." This was great, her first real southern parlor talk. No one ever made idle chitchat like this back home. Well, sometimes they did but with far less amicability, often overtly fake. Something about it was oddly refreshing, and she felt herself relax into the warmth of their voices and the calmness of the conversation.

"Yeah, we've been driving three days. We probably could have made it in two, but it's hard to keep a six-year-old occupied in a car for that long." The barmaid took this opportunity to forsake her uninterested façade and interrupt.

"Then what they hell you doin' all the way out here in this podunk town? How'd y'all even hear about it?" The woman was crass and abrasive, but something in her tone still held that familiar southern gentility and made her words sound more teasing than accusatory.

"Actually I'm here looking for someone. You wouldn't happen to know an Anthony D'Angelo, would you?" The woman raised an eyebrow at that while Sam and Sookie exchanged glances.

"How do you know Anthony?" asked Sam, "You city folk all keep tabs on each other or something?"

Cecilia laughed lightly, "Something like that. He's… an old family friend, one whom I haven't seen in quite a while." Sookie shrugged, sending an apologetic look her way.

"Sorry hun, but he moved out west a few years back. Out to California, I think."

The young girl froze, as though ice water had been poured down her back. Pink lips fell slightly open as her breath caught in her throat. She struggled to appear normal as the panic set in, because she was, to put it lightly, royally fucked. She couldn't drive with Amaryl all the way across the country! Hell, she wasn't supposed to be taking her at all! He was supposed to be here, why wasn't he? It was only a matter of time before they would be stopped and brought back, and it was too risky to try and make it all the way across the country, especially if they could be traced to Bon Temps. If the officials heard that they stopped in town looking for Anthony D'Angelo, it would be all too easy to predict where they were headed, and they would be intercepted before they could reach him. It looked like she was going to have to improvise, come up with a new story and stick to it until she got the chance to hightail it out of town. After dinner, she decided, would be ideal. They could stop for the night in the next town over, somewhere where no one would have any reason to be suspicious of them.

"O-oh, what a shame." She faltered slightly but pouted convincingly, trying to put on a face of disappointment but not utter devastation, "I was really hoping to see him again." She hoped it was convincing, though the three eyed her warily.

"Yeah, too bad. You came all the way down here for him, and that little girl you're traveling with, she's your…"

"Daughter!" Cecilia blurted it out without thought, knowing it would be too suspicious for sisters matching their description to be traveling through. The others at the bar looked taken aback.

"Wait, how old are y'all?"

"Twenty-two," she answered smoothly, "And she's six, I know big for her age. I had her when I was just sixteen… we all make mistakes…" she mentally willed herself to shut-up and stop digging her hole, reminding herself that, when lying, less was more. She had already mentioned that her sister was five earlier, repeating it was entirely unnecessary. Still, this seemed to appease Sam and the black woman behind the bar, who snorted in slight ridicule. The teen had put on her daily make-up, with black-rimmed eyes surrounded with mile-long lashes of mascara and blush brushed cheeks she could easily pass for a young twenty-one without question. The only one who seemed to have an issue with her claim was the blond waitress, Sookie, whose eyes had grown dark and confused. Cecilia avoided her eyes and stared at the counter, wondering how she was going to locate Anthony D'Angelo when she knew almost nothing about him and how in the world she was going to keep Amaryl from blowing their cover story without having to explain everything to a mind that surely was too young to understand. At this moment, said child came bounding out of the bathroom and up to the group.

Cecilia peered down at her, "Did you wash your hands?" Instead of answering verbally, the child thrust her hands up so she could see the slight moisture still glistening on her skin, and her sister nodded in approval.

"Sissy," she asked, yanking on the hem of her sister's shirt, "Can I please have a glass of lemonade?" The teen winced, wracking her brain for a reasonable explanation as to why her so-called 'daughter' didn't call her 'mommy.'

Sam didn't seem to notice and turned to the black barmaid, "Tara, why don't you get the little lady a nice tall glass of our finest?"

Tara rolled her eyes, "Sure thing, boss." The sarcasm fell thick with her heavy southern twang. As he reprimanded her for her attitude, Cecilia turned to Sookie. Amaryl was distracted by the two fighting adults behind the counter.

"It's easier to have her call me that than mom, y'know pretend we're sisters, since we're less than two decades apart in age…" her awkward explanation of poor mothering trailed off.

"I didn't ask." Sookie shrugged, suddenly surlier than the southern sweetheart she had been only moments before, but it melted away almost instantly to the flouncing girl from earlier.

"Why don't we get y'all seated so you can enjoy your dinner in peace? I'll bring your _daughter's_ drink to the table." Oblivious to the emphasis put on the word 'daughter,' Cecilia could have leapt for joy, thrilled that she was getting away with so much. They all seemed to believe her. And why shouldn't they? What reason would a young girl have to lie? She had always been paranoid, worried too much. They were in the clear.

Taking her sister by the hand, she turned to Sam, "Thank you for all your help Mr…"

"Merlotte," he answered, "Sam Merlotte, the owner. You can just call me Sam, everyone else here does. And it weren't any trouble."

"Well, then thank you Sam, this is absolutely lovely. One more quick question before I stop bothering you: You wouldn't happen to know where in California Anthony moved to, would you? We're actually on our way up to Seattle to visit some family, so stopping there really wouldn't be any trouble for us."

"I dunno anymore. Originally he moved to Los Angeles, I think. He was never really one for small town living, missed the bustle of the city I guess. But he moved again only a couple months after that, don't know where to- didn't give us another forwarding address for his mail."

"Oh," she forced a smile, which he returned, "alright. Well, thank you anyway. Have a nice night."

"You too." Turning back, she missed Sookie watching her suspiciously and only saw her pleasant smile.

"Why don't y'all follow me, I'll set you up in a quiet booth over there." They followed her to a shadowy corner that was indeed far quieter than the rest of the bar. It was cozy and set apart from the hustle and bustle, something Cecilia found herself quite thankful for. It would give her a chance to figure things out sans interruption and to maybe explain anything she needed to cover with Amaryl. The only inhabited table nearby was the booth across the way. There were four sitting there, two men, a woman, and a young girl. At least one of the men and the girl were vampires, bottles of Tru Blood sitting open before them, but she was willing to bet they all were. Just the aura of power they radiated made her certain… and maybe a bit restless.

She did not have any problem with them being there; vampires were an everyday (or rather, every night) staple of living in the city. In fact, it was pretty chic to be seen with them or at vampire clubs. She was just surprised to see them existing so openly in the Deep South, where people still had issues with homosexuals let alone the undead. Truth be told, though, they still made her a little uncomfortable on occasion. Okay, if she was being perfectly honest, they pretty often made her nervous- sometimes very nervous, actually- but she did not have any issue with them. She had met a few vampires from some of her mother's friends and gatherings, but that did not really bode well for her opinion of them, and she still could not quite wrap her mind around one of their kind in the initial meeting. Anyway it probably didn't matter; most vampires had a very parallel attitude of mutual disinterest. You don't bother them, they don't bother you. If you're interested in a little extra-curricular fun, then you are welcome to ask to accompany them. Otherwise, they aren't that interested in you. That suited her just fine.

After settling them down with their menus, Sookie flounced off to the vampire table, leaving Cecilia alone with her thoughts. Unfortunately, these thoughts all seemed to revolve around how thoroughly fucked she was. When she thought her dad lived here, she had a plan. She would bring Amaryl down here to live with him, effectively protecting her from that rat bastard Jackson while she was at college. Sure, it wasn't foolproof, but it was an effective starting point. Now, with neither hide nor hair of the man and no leads on his whereabouts, she was utterly without hope. It was possible, in theory, to drive up to LA and see what she could find, but the idea was highly ambitious. If it had taken her three days to get down here, it would take her at least four or five to make it to the city, and by that point someone was sure to have noticed their disappearance, despite her mother and Jackson being away on a second honeymoon – which, she had her suspicions, was more of a business trip and desperately attached vacation meant to appease her mother. She needed a new plan, and she needed it _fast_. She sat silently considering this for a few minutes, before turning to her sister. The plan was weak at best, but it was her only hope, and at this point she had nothing left to lose.

* * *

It had been a long night for Bill. He had decided to head over to Merlotte's in an effort to get out of the house and see Sookie at work. Unfortunately, experience had taught him that it was best that he kept a close, watchful eye on young Jessica. Expecting an uneventful night, they settled into a booth only to receive a surprise visit from Pam and Eric. It seemed the Sherriff of area five wished to discuss with him the ongoing vampire crisis of the moment and had tracked him down. Sookie, of course, wanted to be involved in the conversation but had to work, and thus kept flitting back and forth from the table. Jessica listened without interest, inserting her snarky little comments whenever she felt the need yet paying little attention. She was keeping her eyes peeled for Hoyt or Jason, weary of dealing with either of them. However, despite the imminent stress Bill had anticipated, the night was turning out to be not entirely disappointing. It seemed the matters Eric needed to discuss with him were not impending so much as dissipating, and they had finished early on. They even had Sookie entirely up to date on everything going on, quite the accomplishment considering the fact that she couldn't remain standing beside them for more than two minutes. Unfortunately, Eric had chosen to stay in the establishment, despite his distaste for it, most likely just to spite him. Still, he could deal with all that and reveled in its simplicity. He tuned out Jessica's idle chatter as he watched Sookie lead a young woman and child to the booth adjacent to theirs, something he found quite curious. Usually all customers were seated as far from the resident vampires as they could manage, yet these girls were rather close. Eric seemed to have picked up on it as well, judging by the way he regarded the three women from the corner of his eye. The telekinetic wasted no time making a bee-line to their table, chewing her lip in thought. Bill opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but Eric beat him to it.

"Is something troubling you?" His voice was low, seemingly uninterested, but anyone who truly knew Eric could tell that he was taking every minute detail into careful consideration. Sookie glanced over her shoulder at the other table, where the girls didn't seem to notice.

"It's those two traveling girls over there. She's claiming to be that little girl's mother, but she's lying. And I'm worried she might've kidnapped her or something…" she turned to look Bill in the eye, making it clear that she wasn't going to owe any other vamp at the table any other favors, "Do you think you could try to listen in on them or find something out? I'm gonna try to listen in on what I can when I take their orders, but it's too suspicious for me to just stand near 'em and Sam'd kill me for lingering instead of workin' anyhow." Bill looked over at the table to the still oblivious humans and felt the need to point something out, just in case his girlfriend was overworked and it was going to her head.

"They're very clearly related, Sookie; they're nearly identical." Pam resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Bill Compton's human was fascinating, sure, and certainly helpful; however, sometimes her hero complex became a little too much to bear. Was the girl at the other table obviously lying? Yes. Did they give a flying fuck about it? No. But now that she had mentioned it, both the men would be falling over themselves, desperate to uncover the mystery of the girls at table fourteen. Joy.

"I know Bill, just that something doesn't seem right. I got a few clips of her thoughts, she's looking for Anthony D'Angelo and she wants to find him before the law finds her…" she glanced up at the bar, "I gotta go, Sam's givin me the evil eye. Just please do what you can." With that she breezed back to the siblings across the aisle.

Pam sighed heavily, "Oh what the hell, not like I've got anything better to do tonight." She made a point to focus on the conversation, as did her male companions. Jessica found she was uninterested in these new developments and busied herself playing with a sugar packet.

Bill didn't look over as he addressed her, "Jessica, talk." She looked at him curiously, pulling a bratty expression that was typically her.

"Why? I thought y'all were supposed to be listenin' in on Sookie's mysterious travelers."

"And there's nothing more suspicious than a silent table, so talk and let us pretend to listen." The teenage vampire rolled her eyes but obeyed, prattling on about this and that without care of what she was saying. Her three older counterparts found it easy to tune out the mindless dribble in an effort to hear Sookie take the orders of the girls across the floor.

"So y'all think you're ready to go? You're lemonade and the water you wanted will be out in a jiffy, so what else can I get you?" The older girl smiled at her waitress and looked across the table at the child.

"You know what you want yet, sweetie?" The girl furrowed her brow and cocked her head.

"Can I please get a grilled cheese?" she asked sweetly.

Her sister gazed reproachfully, "You _may_ not. It's dinner time, and you need to have some protein. Since you're getting lemonade instead of milk, you have to eat something more substantial." The child sighed heavily but nodded and turned to look up at the waitress.

"_May_ I please have a kid's hamburger, please? With extra cheese… please?"

"Aw," Sookie cooed, "sure thing hun! Ain't you just the cutest thing on this side of the river!" Amaryl shifted uncomfortably under the beam of Sookie's smile, but her sister laughed lightly.

"Yeah, she's too adorable. I'm still not sure where she gets it from." She finished the thought in her head, that she certainly didn't get it from their mother or her father. Sookie filed the thought away for future reference and smiled brightly at her.

"Well I'm sure she gets it from you. I hope you don't mind me sayin' this, but you look just darling! Hard to believe you're as old as y'are…"

Cecilia returned it effortlessly and answered breezily, "Yes, I'd imagine city living is easier than out here and leaves one a bit softer… though you don't look much older than me either."

"I'm not, just a few years. So what can I get you? A lemonade too, maybe?" The girl looked down at the menu and bit her lip.

"Just a water please, and… the smothered pork chops sound good, but how big are the servings? I'm not sure I could finish a full plate." She giggled youthfully, something both Sookie and the vampire interlopers picked up on.

"It's a lot of food, a real good deal for the price. Don't worry 'bout it, hun- you can just wrap up whatever you don't finish." The young girl smiled and nodded, handing over her menu.

"Alright, smothered pork chops it is. Thank you."

"No problem, I'll be right back with your drinks." Sookie glided away lightly, throwing a meaningful glance back at the other table. Bill acknowledged it with a nod.

"Well, she seemed motherly enough. 'You need protein.'" Pam mocked, rolling her eyes, "Terrible liar, though. A real shame, she has potential." She glanced over to see the girl ring her hands nervously as Sookie delivered their drinks.

"Awfully young to be so motherly in this day and age." Eric commented casually. No one responded, for the girl in question had addressed her younger counterpart.

"Amaryl, honey, we need to talk about something… and don't finish that lemonade before dinner, because you're not getting another one." The little girl looked up from the sugary drink she had been slurping down and put it back on the table, pouting. Feeling guilty already for the mess she had dragged the little girl into, Sissy softened her tone.

"Honey, you know how you always love to play pretend?"

The little girl nodded, a bright smile taking over her face, "Uh-huh! My favorite is house, where I can be the mommy or the princess!" Cecilia smiled softly, not questioning how on Earth one could pretend to be a princess while playing house.

"Well then, how'd you like to play a big game of pretend with me? One where no one knows we're playing pretend except us?" The child's mouth formed into a little 'o' of wonder, eyes shining and the prospect of such an exciting game. Back at the other table, Eric and Pam couldn't help but smirk and exchange conspiratorial glances, somewhat impressed and amused by the way she was manipulating the child.

"Can we do that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Of course, it'll be super fun! I'll be the mommy and you be the baby, and we'll tell everyone you're my daughter. We can even change our names…"

"I dunno… would mom like it if we played that?"

"Oh she'd think it was adorable!"

"Ok… when can we tell her about it? I haven't talked to her since she and daddy went on vacation, when is she gonna call?"

"Soon, baby, real soon. So whaddya say; wanna play this game with me?" The girl looked down, back at her older sister, and down again, uncertain. It certainly _sounded_ fun, but she still wasn't sure…

"Can my name be anything I want?" Mentally, Cecilia reviewed the conversation since she entered the bar. Never had their names been mentioned, the closes being 'Sissy,' which she had written off as being a nickname for sister. Their names could truly be anything. But, just in case, maybe she would pick a name for herself that Sissy could still work as a nickname for.

"Sure, honey, whatever you want."

"Oooh, can it be Sarah? I _love_ the name Sarah!"

Sissy laughed, "Ok, sweetie, you can be Sarah. You'll be Sarah… Brown, how's that?"

"Awesome! What's your name gonna be?"

"How about… Melissa? This way if you forget and accidentally call me Sissy no one will know."

"I won't forget! But ok, Melissa what?"

She laughed, "Brown, silly! If I'm your mommy we've got to have the same name. But remember, this is our little secret, so sshhh!" She put a finger up to her lips and the child giggled for a few moments. Suddenly, however, she furrowed her brow and cocked her head.

"You're a lot younger than everyone else's mommys." A little part of Sissy wanted to strangle her sister for being so smart for her age… then again, it made her endearing. Besides, this gave her the perfect opportunity to convince the child to lie about her age. And by 'lie' she meant 'play pretend in relation to,' of course.

"Well then, we'll just have to tell everyone that I'm twenty."

"That's still really young…"

"Too late, hun, I've decided. I'm twenty. And we'll say you're five instead of six, ok?"

"But-"

"Please, Ames- I mean, _Sarah_."

The child sighed and rolled her eyes, "Fiiiine…" Cecilia laughed, pleased with the progress between her and her sister, and allowed the conversation to drift away to other topics, such as how Timmy from day camp put a frog in the girl's bathroom. At the table across the way, the cluster of vampires turned to each other. Bill mulled over what they had learned intently, however Eric seemed only vaguely interested and Pam only pulled idly at lint on her blouse. Jessica was still jabbering away idly, causing the eldest vamp to roll his eyes.

"Please shut her up." The redhead sniffed indignantly at him but did as asked.

"So they're sisters on the run, so what?" Pam asked uninterestedly, "Why the fuck should we care? It's certainly not any of our business. Let's just get out of this shithole full of humans and head back to Fangtasia."

Bill mockingly toasted her and Eric with his bottle, "Please, don't stay just on our account." Pam sneered in response, but Eric waved her off.

"Quiet, Pam. I'm somewhat curious, now, to see how this all plays out."

"We haven't fed yet tonight." She knew it was a mistake the minute she said it as Eric turned to look at her calmly, a potentially more dangerous expression than if he were to openly glare at her.

"Then order a bottle of Tru Blood to tide you over." She quieted down after that, and Bill motioned Sookie over with a smirk. She sped right to them without question.

"What'd you find out?" she breathed, sneaking a furtive glance at the girls' table.

"Nothing that wasn't obvious: they're sisters pretending to be mother and daughter, and they're going to lie to you about their names and ages. Oh and Pam here," Bill smirked, motioning to the pouting woman, "would like a bottle of Tru Blood." Her glare trained itself on him heatedly.

"… What?" Sookie asked, looking between the two confusedly. She shook her head after a moment, figuring it was some sort of vampire inside joke and she should just collect the order and forget about it.

"Will there be anything else you require of us regarding the girls?" Eric interrupted.

Sookie plastered on a smile, "Oh well thank you, but y'all really don't have to stay for that. I don't wanna keep ya, I mean Bill's gonna be here anyway so there's no need for you to ignore what other things you might have to do…" She really did not savor the idea of Eric doing her a favor, and she really hoped he would accept that and be done with it. For his part, he seemed to relish her discomfort and leaned back in the seat.

"Oh not at all, I would be happy to stay. Pam can handle anything that might need attention back at Fangtasia." Pam brightened slightly at this, welcoming her escape as Eric stood to let her out of the booth. She bid them a curt goodnight and wished them a sarcastic 'good luck with the mystery of the girls at table 14,' before walking purposefully out of the restaurant. Sookie just looked between everyone with obvious confusion, mumbling idly that they were not seated at table 14 but letting it go.

"So… forget the Tru Blood then? Oh shoot, I gotta go- their food's ready. Bill, honey, lemme know if you find out anything else." On that note she scurried over to Sam, who chastised her weakly for spending more time with her boyfriend than her work.

"It ain't about that, Sam!" she argued in a heated whisper, "It's those girls; they ain't mother n' daughter."

"Damn Sook, what've ya gone n' gotten yourself into _now_?" He threw up his arms and turned away from her, running a quick hand through his shaggy hair. He was about up to his fill with the craziness that had suddenly become focused around his bar. Once upon a time, Merlotte's had been a nice, quiet, _normal_ little establishment where you could come get a quick bite and a drink. Now everything seemed to have gone to hell in a hand basket, and Sookie was always looking to stick her nose in it and get them all even more involved. Here she strikes again.

She sent him a tight glare, hands on her hips, "I haven't gotten myself into anything, I just wanna know why two young sisters are posin' as mother n' daughter n' travelin' all this way. It's mighty suspicious to me, that's all, and I'm dang sure that Sissy girl ain't even legal."

"Well is she orderin' a drink?" he asked, turning to her.

"No, but-"

"Then it ain't none of our business. Now go on n' bring 'em their food and get back to work." For a moment Sookie remained, deliberating arguing with her boss further, but in the end she thought better of it and marched off to bring the girls their food. When she got there, they were giggling as they played tic-tac-toe on a napkin. It made her heart swell a little. They looked incredibly happy, and she felt so guilty messing with that. But they were young, and it wasn't safe for young girls to be traveling alone. She had to meddle for their own good.

"Soup's up!" Sookie announced cheerily, setting down the plates. Amaryl looked at her confused, furrowing her brow.

"But nobody ordered any soup." The women laughed lightly, and at the other table, Jessica's eyes softened as her lips spread into a warm smile at the memory of her own sister.

"Aw, it's just a figure of speech, pumpkin, I know what y'all ordered. A burger with extra _extra_ cheese for the lil princess," as she set the plate down, she sent the child a wink that madder her giggle, "n' smothered pork chops for Ms… Y'know I'm sorry, but I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Sissy!" Amaryl called out, picking up her burger, "She's Melissa Brown, and I'm Sarah Brown. She's my mommy." She grinned fiendishly at her big sister, who resisted the urge to break down and cry. This was not going anyway like she planned it, getting a six-year-old to lie believably was virtually impossible. In her mind, Sookie listened to her praise herself for being such a good pretender and remembering everything Sissy had told her to say. Resisting the urge to tell the young woman off for manipulating children and teaching them to lie, she turned a sweet smile to the little girl.

"Aw, y'all are just too cute! N' so big! How old are ya?"

"I'm six-"

"She's five!" Cecilia intervened with a nervous laugh, "You know kids at that age; they all wish they were older. But she's five."

"And she's twenty!" Amaryl interrupted purposefully, proud of herself for remembering one of their ages correctly.

"Huh, that's funny… I thought you said earlier that y'all were six n' twenty-_two_." Turning to face the older girl, Sookie listened calmly to the panic that swirled through her head and across her face with such clarity that she did not need to be a mind reader to tell what was going on.

"Well I, uh…" she stuttered for a few moments before giving up, "Aw shit."

**End of Chapter**

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R_S: Writing children is _really_ difficult… Anyway, the first couple chapters probably won't be the best, because I'll be setting up the story, but I have a lot of stuff planned out =)


	2. Cover Blown

R_S: This is just kinda a short, nitty-gritty chapter to establish the story.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Cover Blown**

"So what are your names really?" Sissy was sitting at the bar picking at her dinner and talking to Sookie, Bill, Sam, and Eric, Tara wiping down the bar and listening in. Her sister sat with Jessica finishing her meal. The redhead had been surprisingly unhostile when her maker ordered her to stay back and even more surprisingly gentle with the girl, most likely seeing her own sister within her. And Amaryl loved her new friend, sharing all sorts of stories and silliness that was accepted with a warm smile and soft eyes. Her older sister, on the other hand, was not as excited by their new 'friends.' They had introduced themselves, and she was going to have to come clean to them now. They were going to send both of them back, she just knew it. The whole plan had been a long shot, but Sissy had really hoped that it would work somehow. Moreover, she _really_ did not want to be somebody's midnight snack.

"I'm Cecilia, and this is my sister, Amaryl." She admitted in voice steeped with defeat and weariness.

Tara snorted rudely and rolled her eyes, "Cecilia and Amaryl, pretentious rich white kid names."

"Tara!" Sookie's admonishment was embarrassed, a faint blush painting her cheeks, "I'm real sorry bout that, she didn't mean anything by it."

"Don't worry about it. If there's one word to describe what Jackson and Veronica St John are, it's pretentious… and stereotypical. Jackson's a big business mogul and my mom's… his wife." She shrugged, as though that explained everything. And, they supposed, it really did; they could already picture a man like him (probably middle-aged but still handsome, with hair only just turning grey at the sides and his face more mature than weathered) looking impeccable in his suit and tie, her looking gorgeous (not old enough to look aged but not so young that it would seem inappropriate and probably a bottle blond), clinging to his arm in a slinky but tasteful red number. The girls sat before the couple in uncomfortable expensive clothes, plastering on fake smiles to hide their boredom. Bon Temps may have been somewhat far removed from the city that never sleeps, but they had seen pictures of the New York City CEOs in magazines, so yeah, they could picture it pretty well.

"Right… so what're y'all doing way down here?" Sam questioned gently, empathizing with the idea of parents that wanted to be perfect and tried to mould their kids to be the same.

"Well, I actually didn't lie about that." She tried to giggle and lighten the mood a bit, but it was a feeble attempt at best. "I _am_ looking for Anthony D'Angelo- my father.

"See, Amaryl's only my half-sister, even though I've been Cecilia St John for years. I was hoping that, if I found him, Ames and I could stay with him… at least until I turn eighteen."

"Turn eighteen- miss, just how old are you, really?"

"Seventeen, Mr. Compton; I just graduated high school. And Amaryl is six." She shifted somewhat uncomfortably, disconcerted by the fact that not one but two vampires were sitting not two feet from her. But it was hard to find Bill all that scary anymore. He had obviously sensed her discomfort and had been rather gentle with her, as though trying to assure her that he meant no harm. It was warming, and though she was not quite at ease, she found herself warming up to him more quickly than she thought she might warm up to any other vampire. Jessica seemed sweet as well; at least, Amaryl seemed quite taken with her already.

"I see. And you ran away because…?"

"Ok, please don't call it 'running away,' that makes it sound like I'm some brat that didn't want to stay with her oh-so-terrible parents that wouldn't buy her the car she wanted or let her get her belly button pierced or something stupid like that."

Eric snorted, "And you expect us to believe that's not true for you, little girl?" She reflexively shot him a nasty glare in response, but it wiped from her eye as soon as she saw who it was, forcing her uncomfortable gaze back down to her lap. Whereas Bill had been friendly upon sensing her unease, Eric chose to capitalize on it and intimidate her to his fullest ability. The only thing that really kept him reigned in was Sookie's control over him, which also served to be the only thing that calmed her down- it was really quite amusing to see the way a giant, terrifying vampire obeyed a tiny blond girl. Still, he quite clearly could- and would- kill her without a second thought, so Cecilia found that she couldn't even look at him while talking, lest she lose her words.

"It was never about me getting away. I was supposed to get the full college experience; I'll be dorming at Barnard in the fall, so _I_ don't really need to worry about it ever again aside from the occasional holiday. But I couldn't leave Amaryl there without me, not alone. She deserves better than that."

"Sissy…" Sookie placed a gentle hand on the younger girls, looking to her softly, "Better than what, sweetheart?" The brunette sighed and pulled her hand away to run it through her hair, before realizing that she still had it in a bun. Instead she smoothed it out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. She did not want to pour her heart out to strangers. She was always that kind of person, wearing her heart on her sleeve and holding no secrets of her own, opting instead to keep those of others- in retrospect, it was probably why this whole charade had failed so miserably. This, though, was the kind of thing that most people just did not get, not without feeling it. She had a perfect life on paper: money, influence, a family… It all seemed to fall into place- on paper. Her problems were nothing compared to most people in the world, and Cecilia knew that, really she truly did. And yet, money and a façade of perfection did not guarantee you happiness. Rich people had problems too, they were just less comfortable talking about them, because, really, how do you tell someone who can barely afford to feed their children that you are feeling stressed or are thinking about killing yourself? It sounded ridiculous, and anyone who said otherwise just sounded self-involved. But this pretty blond she had only met an hour before was impossible to keep things from, and when she looked her in the eye to give some vague excuse, she found herself spilling out everything from the beginning.

"Even though he's just my step father, Jackson never let me want for anything. I've always had the best money can buy. He hates me, so he begrudges paying anything for me, but he does it out of a sense of duty. Amaryl gets everything she wants too, though it's a bit better for her, because she is actually his daughter, so he doesn't hate her at least. But he still isn't there for her, or loving her.

"I was really young when my father left, but I can still remember playing with him all the time, the way he always had time for me, cared for me, sang songs with me. Even when he was gone, I would get letters from him and calls, attempts to stay in my life and invitations to come down here and visit him. I never did, but it kept me from blaming him for leaving. And during those years it was just my mom and I, and even though she had to work more to support us, she was still always there for me. She said it was the two of us, the dynamic duo forever… until she met Jackson St John.

"I was happy for her at first, because she was so taken with him. But once they were together, everything changed. Her presence all but disappeared from my life, and neither of them was ever home. Once they got married, the calls and letters from my dad stopped, and I know that was his doing. Things seemed like they might get a little better when my mom got pregnant, but they didn't. Jackson kept travelling even after the baby was born, and once she was well enough, mom went with him. And I think that's what hurts the most; knowing that my mom is so capable of being loving and that being with him denies her that. I've spent so much of my life seeing the different sides of my mother, seeing the different ways a child can be raised, that I know I can't leave Amaryl in that situation. It just isn't right. Do you know what she got for her fifth birthday? She got a _beautiful_ party, planned by a professional coordinator with the works, and her own pony with lessons being kept at a stable not too far away. Mama had to hire someone else to plan it, because they weren't there.

"I thought- no, I _know_ that if I just tracked my dad down, explained the situation, he would take care of everything. It sounds silly and childish to run back to daddy to make everything okay again, but there isn't anything else I could do. Amaryl alone in that house with just the house keeper or nanny, virtually no contact with her family or even people at all… I can't do that. I'll still be in the city, that's why I'm going somewhere so close. Of course Jackson made sure to pull strings and guard his reputation by putting his stepdaughter in a school that's well revered, but I had to make sure I was close enough to be there for Ames. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that with the stress of college and starting my own life, I _won't_ be able to be there for her, and then she'll be alone. I don't want her to grow up, bitter and without knowing love. You've met her, she has a special spark of life in her. She's so happy, and that spark needs to be nurtured or it will be snuffed out altogether. At least with my daddy she can have a real father. Hell, even if it's selfish, _I_ can have my father, instead of just sitting back and letting Jackson steal him away from me, too." By now she was panting a bit, out of air from her speech, her mouth parched as a few lone tears slid down her cheeks. A glass of water appeared in front of her, and she looked up to meet Tara's eyes- guarded with feigned disinterest but still sympathy beneath it. She never had a family to speak of, either.

"Listen, kid..." Sam started gently, trying to think of the right way to put it, "I really think-"

Eric rolled his eyes, "A touchingly melodramatic soliloquy truly worthy of an Oscar. Now call her parents and have them come down here. The kid's more than well enough off; she's just being a drama queen. You," He leaned in and looked Cecilia dead in the eye, punctuating his words deliberately, "are nothing more than a child pretending to know what is best for your sister. Go home, little girl, to the superficial life where you belong. You are in way over your head."

"Eric!" Bill growled, "That was extremely inappropriate given the circumstances. Can you not see that this child is in pain?"

"_What_ pain? She's merely jealous of her sister and has chosen to act out. Since her stepfather does not care for her, she's trying to keep him from caring for the little girl-"

"He _doesn't_ care about her!" Cecilia bit out, still too fearful to hold Eric's gaze but angered enough allow her eyes to flicker across his form and to contradict him, "There is no one Jackson St John cares about but himself." The look in his eyes was dangerous as he regarded her; Eric Northman did not like to be challenged. He moved in toward her, leaning close enough that his breath fluttered across her face.

"Listen closely, ignorant brat, and hear me well;" his tone was dangerous, like ice through her veins, "you know_ nothing_ compared to what you think you know."

"Eric, stop it!" Sookie said, "You're scaring her!" Indeed Sissy was terrified, staring back at him wide-eyed. He smirked, feeling his point made and pride at his dominance welling.

"She should be scared… I have seen things, done things that would make you _die_ of fright, little girl. Go home before I show you."

"Damnit, how come every time I come in here someone's threatenin' someone?"

"Hey Jason." Sookie greeted. Jason stood behind them, leaning against a chair and eying Eric wearily. He nodded back.

"Hey, Sook. What's goin' on?"

"Uh, Jason meet Cecilia. She and her sister are, uh… well it's kind of a long story. Cecilia, this is my brother, Jason." His eyes climbed up her form, from pale exposed legs to careless bun, stopping on all the important parts. For her part, Sissy was a little bit too panicky to fully appraise him- ok, that was a lie. She was a teenage girl and he was a hot man in _uniform_ for god's sake. But he was a cop, and that was something she really did not need right around then. Things were already complicated at best, and now they were throwing in the girl's cop brother? Sometimes she wondered if the universe was shooting her signals, telling her in its own little way that she was totally wrong to be on this little field trip and sending her signs that she should head home. Unless the policeman eye candy was a reward for finding this town, which certainly was possible. She decided to stick with that interpretation but keep her cards close to her chest. Coincidentally, said man's eyes were pretty close to there too, so maybe that wasn't the greatest place to keep them.

"A pleasure, miss." He grasped her hand and fixed her with a charming smile, and damn it all to hell if she could not help but blush.

"Likewise, officer."

"Just Jason's fine." He winked, and she smiled.

"Watch it, Jason." Sookie warned, but he waved her off.

"Relax, I'm just bein' polite is all." Most everyone reacted like Sookie to the situation, and Sissy figured that the hot cop had a track record of wooing the unsuspecting. She wondered if he had ever gotten himself into trouble with an underage girl like herself but assumed not. Usually pedophiles don't get to be cops, even when it's inadvertent. Eric, however, had fixed the siblings and her with a calculating look, glancing between the three without surreptitiousness. As they all continued to talk and bicker, he took a final lingering look at Sookie and smirked victoriously.

"Well, this evening has been lovely," he interrupted sarcastically, "but I think I'll be heading out. Good night, Sookie… Cecilia," he gripped her chin tightly as he smirked down at her, a single eyebrow raised, "I have a feeling you won't heed my warning, so I assume I'll see you again soon."

He left quickly, and Sissy wondered if it really was possible to die from fear.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

R_S: This is probably one of my least favorite things I've ever written... the next chapters are waaaay better, though, so just hang in there lovelies!


	3. Setting the Foundation

R_S: I like this chapter waaaay better than the last one... but I think the next one is my fav of what I have written thus far.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Setting the Foundation**

So, their epic quest was not going entirely as planned, but Cecilia was not without hope. The sisters had settled into Sookie Stackhouse's place (apparently the barmaid, Tara, lived there too, but she skipped town for a few days to tend to some business- the details were somewhat lost on them), and they were trying to track down Anthony D'Angelo. It was not proving to be a simple endeavor, with few leads and little to go on. Jason stopped by often, flirting openly and carelessly despite the age difference, though that just seemed to be in his nature. She doubted seriously that he was actually pursuing anything with her- the police force _did_ tend to frown upon pedophilia, endangerment of minors, and the like. Rather, he was more… encouraging her to keep her options open for when she finally turned legal and goofing around, probably more so just being Jason. He was trying to find what he could through police records, but there was little to be gained without looking suspicious. Unfortunately, she saw Eric around a lot too, and he was not even trying to help. Mostly he mocked and intimidated her, especially around the Stackhouse siblings- he seemed to garner a great deal of amusement from her discomfort and their disapproval. She could probably do with never seeing him again, but he seemed determined to make himself a staple of the town life, despite actually being from Shreveport. Cecilia tried her hardest not to know anything about him or his business and even harder to keep Amaryl at an ever growing distance from him.

But that aside, with every moment spent in Bon Temps Sissy found she was falling more and more in love with it. In fact, she did not think she wanted to leave. It was quiet and far, far away from the plastic world to which she had grown accustomed, and there was a university nearby where her new friends knew some people. A far cry from Barnard, perhaps, but likely somewhere she would be much happier. It was with this realization that she decided, once the whole mess with her family was ironed out, she was going to make Bon Temps her home- despite the havoc its heat and humidity wreaked on her already temperamental hair. It was time to grow some roots, or at least lay down the foundation to start building her life. That was what she told Sookie one day while visiting Merlotte's.

"Wow… are you sure? I mean, not that I wouldn't love having y'all around, but are you sure you wanna give up the chance to go to Barnard for Bon Temps?"

"Honestly, I don't think I've ever felt so sure of something in my life." Sissy smiled excitedly.

"Well, darling, that really isn't saying much, is it?" The blond teased.

"Maybe not," she laughed, "but it just feels right. And honestly, Barnard was more way more their idea than mine. I shouldn't have even gotten in- I should have flunked many a science course, if not for Jackson's money. I do want to go to college, but I don't really care where I go as long as I can work on my music. They were pushing me to major in business or something lucrative, but I always kinda figured I'd go with Music or even English, since I enjoy writing a lot more than just songs… does that sound completely naïve and idealistic?" She asked Sookie sheepishly.

"Well… are you planning on becoming a rich and famous rock star?"

"No, of course not; but I do want to find some kind of work either writing or somewhere else in the music industry. If I'm really lucky I can maybe be a song-writer, but I could also see myself working in recording studios."

"Then no, I think you're good. You're not shooting too high, and you've got a safety net or two."

"Yeah, I was also thinking journalism might be a good fit. I don't know, I guess I've gotta figure my life out. But really," the teen shot her friend a wry grin, "couldn't you just _so_ see me as the airplane novel type hard-hitting journalist, snooping around where I'm not supposed to be, because my hot cop lover-slash-inside source warned me away from it and I just couldn't resist?"

"Oh yeah," she snorted, "definitely… There isn't some hot cop here that you could see that happening with, is there?"

She chuckled, "No."

"Ok good, just checkin' to make sure you hadn't suddenly become delusional. But you know, even just figuring your life out, it's still gonna be mighty hard to do in Bon Temps. And I have to warn you, this town can be… dangerous. More so than most… More so than you can really believe." They stared at each other in a silent exchange of understanding. The girl would heed her warnings, but she wasn't wavering. For a moment both contemplated what to say, but the silence was broken by Sam.

"Tara, rotate the beer stock, would ya?" He was making his way out into the table to supervise the goings on. Tara was behind the bar, having returned and come back into work while the girls were there. She seemed piqued but unsurprised at their continued presence, as if drifters often became rooted in this town. It would not surprise her, Cecilia supposed, if they did. There was something magnetic about the place that pulled you in, beautiful and serene but just off enough so it did not seem creepy. Though, a lot of places felt like that since the revelation. It was strange to think how creatures that had haunted her childhood nightmares so incessantly were now a blasé matter of life, and she often tried not to mull on what other previously discounted creatures might exist in the realm of reality.

"Well hello again, Sissy," he greeted, "how are you today? Where's your tiny clone?"

"Hey Sam. Ames is over there with Holly." She nudged her head across the way to where the aforementioned waitress was filling ketchup bottles with the giggling child, "How are you?"

"I'm alright, can't complain."

Sookie jumped in looking a mite devious, "She was just tellin' me how she's interested in putting some more permanent roots here n' maybe sticking around for college, right?"

"Uh yeah, I was… I really like it here. Now I just have to figure out where to start."

"Well Dawn Green's house still ain't been bought. Sam, why don't y'all take her down to see it? It's awful empty in here right now, and I'm sure we can manage without you for a bit."

He fixed her with a suspicious look, wondering what she was up to, and laughed nervously, "I'm not sure-"

Sissy seemed to sense the same, "Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose-"

"Oh don't worry about it," she cut them both off, "things are fine here, and anyway, you'll only be gone for a bit; an hour at most. The girls and I can keep your sister entertained. Go on, it's a _great_ idea."

Somehow both felt like it would be anything but that, but there was clearly no arguing the situation.

* * *

Dawn Green's house was, for lack of a better term, a dump. It was a semi-renovated nightmare, located in a tiny development known as the Bon Temps Cottages, where Sam Merlotte acted as the landlord. All the houses looked about the same, neat and pretty and white, the only variations being in relative size and upkeep. Sam pointed out neighboring homes along the way; where Terry and Arlene raised the gaggle of children had toys strewn across a somewhat kept lawn, and the Fortenberry home maintained a pristine air about it, as though making up for the fact it was not a mansion. As for the house in question itself, the yard was an unmitigated disaster, overgrown with weeds and tall grass and clearly neglected. It was also the biggest house on the block, though that was clearly a recent development. The paint outside was chipped and worn from being leaned on during work. It seemed Sam had been in the process of constructing the addition and just stopped. Walls were half painted, wallpaper half stripped. The new rooms upstairs were usable, but the floors unfinished and walls naked drywall. It seemed he had been in the process of turning it into a more traditional two-story home, adding two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs to accompany what otherwise would have been a one-bedroom single story ranch. Now the property boasted (so to speak) a modest master bedroom upstairs, an extra bedroom and full bath on each floor, and a kitchen and living room on the main level, which was fully furnished if not liberally coated with layers of dust and mostly covered in tarps. A trap door in the laundry room led to a cozy little storm cellar, with two creaky old red doors leading out back. There the property was in an even more disastrous state than where it could be seen from the street. The storm cellar doors had been padlocked shut after some local kids had gone binge drinking in the basement.

"It's… nice." Sissy offered weakly, gazing awkwardly around the living room after the grand tour. She used that term lightly.

Sam snorted in response as he led her from the house, "Y'all are too sweet to lie, kid. Ain't nobody been living here for a couple years now, and it shows."

"I can't see why. It's really nice property, especially once those new additions are finished."

"They won't be. After some family issues, I'm a little strapped for cash and I didn't have the money to pay for the full job. Just paid the workers for what they done n' left it."

"Oh… well how much is it then?"

"No set price, whatever moves it off the market."

"Why not invest in finishing the house and up the cost?"

"Not worth it, the extra floor wouldn't make any difference. It doesn't change the value of the house all that much."

"Then why bother with the renovations at all?"

"To get someone to look at the damn place, ain't no one who wants to live here after what happened."

"Oh… um, is that why Ms. Green's moving?"

Same shot her an uncomfortable look before dropping his gaze, "Dawn isn't moving; she's dead." An uncomfortable silence spread across them at this revelation, and after only a few moments, he felt the need to fill it. So, the man gave a brief recount of the house's history and the untimely demise of Dawn Green.

"Most people reckon it's haunted," he explained, "that Dawn's ghost still hangs around and the construction might've pissed her off. Apparently 'spirits' don't like that sort of thing. Or if it's not a ghost, then the house is bad luck or some shit like that, and that's not to mention the people who won't go near it because of the creepy factor… You sure you're interested?"

She kept a stiff upper lip, "I don't believe in superstitious nonsense."

"Like I said, kid," Sam responded, not looking back at her as he made his way to the truck, "y'all are a bad liar."

* * *

"Where you been?" Tara asked from her lazy position, having only gotten off work a little while ago, "And just what in the hell is that shiny-ass car doing here?" She was lounging on the porch steps as Sookie stepped out of the little yellow civic. It looked even dirtier and more pathetic next to the shiny silver Audi A4 Avant sitting next to it. She stretched languidly and moved down to where her friend was pulling shopping bags from the trunk, taking one into her arms.

"Oh, around town," the blond answered, closing the vehicle and walking into the house, her friend in tow, "on the way to the market I dropped the girls off at the Fowlers'. Ames gets on real well with Coby and Lisa, and Arlene seems to have taken quite a shining to Sissy. Can't say Sissy seems to care much for Arlene, though, but it's sweet how she appreciates the effort. You-"

"Well that explains what that fancy-ass car that's sitting out in the drive way is, but it doesn't tell my why the hell it's here of all places, or why you're suddenly their soccer mom."

"Well, with everything goin' on with them, I thought it'd be nice for the girls to not have to worry, so they'll be stayin' here for a little while… I moved them in while you were gone." Tara pursed her lips, crossing her arms and looking down. Her taught frame leaned against the kitchen doorway tensely.

"Y'know, Sook, this house is getting awfully small for you to keep takin' in us strays." She quipped with a slight edge.

Sookie rolled her eyes, "Oh now y'all know it ain't all that small. Jason's old room is still empty! N' anyway, it's just temporary, until Sissy gets enough money to rent Dawn's old place."

"And just how in the hell is she gonna manage that?"

"It won't be as hard as it sounds, once she gets a job and saves up some. No one wants to live there since Dawn's murder, and Sam never got to finish those renovations, so the place is a disaster. He's practically givin' it away."

Tara snorted, "Well Sam can't afford that in a literal sense, so cheap or not, there ain't no way that stupid little girl's gonna be able to rent that shit hole. Who the hell's gonna hire her?" The blond slammed some bread onto the table and shot her a glare.

"Y'know, I've really started to have enough outta you. I thought you'd understand what Sissy's goin' through, tryin' to do right by her family." Tara met her stare unwaveringly.

"Don't play that with me, Sook. Now I understand her takin' care of her family, don't you question that. But everybody knows you've got a nose for trouble, and I don't want you bringing any more of it here by taking care of runaways you don't even know."

"They won't be trouble. Now, are you done tellin' me how to live _my_ life? Cuz I got arms full of groceries here n' I'd like to get them unpacked before it all goes bad." Tara fixed her with a withering look in response but said nothing, moving to place some eggs into the refrigerator.

* * *

"Come on Sam, at this point it's practically part of your job description to take in desperate young girls." It was a few days later at Merlotte's and Sookie was following her boss around incessantly, never more than a step behind. Sissy had shown genuine interest in moving into the abandoned home and making it her pet project, but what money she had saved up from odd jobs would never cut it. She was on the prowl for work, and Sookie was determined to help in the usual way.

"Thanks, Sook; that doesn't make me sound creepy at all."

"You know what I mean, Sam. And it'd be good for her to work for you; then she can give that money back to you when she rent's your property."

"Or I can cut out that middle bit by _not_ employin' an extra waitress I can't afford n' basically giving a house away for free."

She glared, "Don't be cruel, Sam- it doesn't suit you. Isn't there anything you can do for them?"

"I really don't know that there is, I'm trying." He sighed, running a hand through his thick hair, "I'd like to help her out, and I feel for her, I do. I just don't know how I can take on another waitress. Holly n' Arlene got kids and need the hours just to feed 'em, plus I already got you and Jessica part time. I'll try to work a place for her into the schedule, but I just don't see how there's gonna be much hours for her to work."

"Well… well, she's all young n' hip and the like, maybe she can make you that website you always wanted! The whole world's gone digital now, and I bet it'd help bring in business."

He fixed her with a look, "I don't need business, you know that… but I will think about it. Now git on outta here n' leave me alone. I got paperwork to do, and you should be working."

"That's all I ask." She grinned and bounced back out into the waiting area. It was pretty quiet, as it usually was at such a time of day. Sissy was waiting for her with a plastic bag, while Amaryl sat at the bar talking Tara's ear off. It contained a brush that, in all honesty, Sookie had not forgotten at all. But she needed to get them there to discuss the possible job opportunity she was helping them with, and Sissy was only too eager to help when Sookie 'misplaced' her hair brush and had to forgo finding it in her rush to work. The smile she plastered on was far from fake as she made her way up to the pair, collecting the bag.

"Thank so much, girls. By the end of the shift, my hair's a total mess without that thing."

Cecilia giggled, "Oh, somehow I doubt that. You've got the pin-straight blond look to a T, lucky. But I feel your pain. Dealing with this" she pointed to the messy up do of curls, "is a nightmare."

"I'm sure… so, I was talking to Sam just now."

"Well, I'd imagine that's a regular occurrence, but if you're that excited we can mark the occasion." She teased.

"I meant about you, ya brat! About you getting' a job here, anyways. He was… well, it'd be hard to swing an extra waitress 'round here, but he wasn't totally against the idea. Doesn't seem too promising, though. I still don't think anyone's interested in the house except for you, if that's any consolation."

"Oh Sook that's ok. I really can't thank you enough just for trying, and for everything else you've done for us. Really, if you need absolutely anything, just ask. I mean, there's no way I could ever repay you."

"Well… there is one way."

"What is it? Really, I'll do anything for you." Sookie felt guilty for a moment, looking into Cecilia's big, adoring eyes.

"It ain't anything big, really. I'm just so busy, I haven't got time to drop this thing off, and I'd be real grateful if you could do it for me."

"Oh my god, yeah, absolutely! Let me just grab Amaryl, and we'll go right now." She moved to dart past through the doorway, but Sookie grabbed her arm.

"Uh, not now sweetie… y'all will have to go much later in the evening, and I _really_ doubt you wanna be bringing your sister along. I need you to bring it to Fangtasia."

"Um, Fangtasia?" The girl looked nervous at that, staring at her disbelievingly, and for a moment, Sookie felt a little annoyed. After everything she had done for these girls, Cecilia really ought not to be asking questions. And so what if it sounded all vampire-y? There was not anything wrong with them, and she thought the girl knew that.

"Yeah, it's a vampire bar… that Eric owns."

She recoiled slightly at that, "Oh Sookie, I really don't know…"

"I thought you weren't afraid of Vampires." Her tone was challenging, as though daring Sissy to say something about Bill's kind.

"I'm not afraid of Vampires…" she countered uncertainly, "I'm afraid of Eric."

That, Sookie had to admit, was more than reasonable.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

R_S: Alright, so let me know what you think. I'm trying really hard to keep them all in character!


	4. Building a Life

R_S: A New York City girl takes her little sister to Bon Temps in search of her father and finds something entirely unexpected

So I wrote this a looong time ago, but I still really like it. I think it adjusts Sissy and makes her more human and less seemingly perfect in the way she handles a rough situation.

* * *

**Makin Life in This Old World  
**

**Chapter 4**

**Building a Life**

The night was hot and sticky, and the air felt thick like soup against Cecilia's skin, even in the relatively cool confinement of the car. She really did not fucking want to be there. But Sookie was doing a lot for Amaryl and her, so much that it felt as though she could never truly repay her. Really, that was probably true; who knew how much money and effort she would expend on them before Sissy gained some autonomy. A small favor like this one was the least she could do, even if it involved Eric Northman. She was sitting in the car reasoning with herself as she fingered the envelope she was meant to deliver. It had spent the entirety of the ride lying upon the passenger's seat watching her. _Mocking_ her… it almost reminded her of Eric in paper form.

The ancient blond vampire was an enigma to her, somehow simultaneously stubborn and fickle. He reminded her, in a way, of a big, dangerous child. He was deadly, calculating, and ruthless, that much was both obvious and certain. But he was also petulant and jealous, always seeming to want what others had. She had seen the way he eyed up Sookie and, when Jason had taken notice of her, herself as well. The more interest her new friends showed in her, the more Eric seemed to involve himself in her life. The way he maintained control of any situation and the skill with which he could manipulate any individual, it was a testament to his time spent on Earth. He spent his undead life living parallel to humans, existing as neither and both the same and entirely different, simply parallel. And yet boys would be boys, and his many centuries of prolonged existence had not taught him any more maturity than if he were Sissy's own age. In such ways he acted almost like Jason, though they did not endear him to her. She loved the people of Bon Temps, and even the town itself had grown on her, despite the backwardness of such an underdeveloped area just east of west bumblefuck. That was, after all, likely what she liked about it most. But Eric Northman she could do without; she was damn well certain of that.

"Might as well just get this over with." She muttered lightly to herself, climbing out of her Audi. Out of habit, she paused to pull down the driver visor to check her face and hair in the mirror before fully getting out and locking the vehicle. It made no difference, though, given that virtually nobody was there. Even if people had been there, she would not have cared to impress any of them. The sun had only just set, and it was a little early for the club to be in full swing, even though it was technically open, but Sookie had assured her that Eric would certainly be there. And anyway, it was probably safer to go when the place _wasn't_ teeming with hungry vampires and aggressive 'fangbangers' (on an aside, she wondered to herself why people would want to be known as that… she didn't have a problem with people sleeping with who they wanted, after all Bill and Sookie were cute in a power-struggle kind of way, but the term itself seemed so disrespectful and lewd). Stuffing her hands, envelope and all, into the hand warmer pocket of her sweatshirt, she shuffled reluctantly up to the entry line. Her attempt to enter the establishment was hindered, however, by the arm of a tall, leggy blond.

"I don't think so, kid." Her voice was smooth and seductive, yet fractious, and she reminded Cecilia of people back in New York, despite the southern twang.

"Show me some ID or beat it; no one under 18 admitted." She paused, looking Cecilia up and down suggestively, "But feel free to come back when you're old enough, cupcake. You look like you could be a good time… or, at the very least, a decent snack."

Sissy's mouth flapped helplessly for a moment, her eyes the size of dinner plates as she tried to figure out how to respond. She really did not want to be anybody's snack; that did not sound like happy fun times. And now this vampire was playing with her, smirking just to make her squirm and sweat.

"Oh I remember you," the lady bouncer drawled, leaning back and crossing her arms, "you're that little girl from the restaurant. I never forget a pretty face. Now, tell me why you're showing yours around here."

"I-I- wha- Eric…" She trailed off, terrified and unsure how to explain. This woman remembered her, but she certainly could not reciprocate. That was quite possibly more terrifying than anything that had ever happened with Eric himself.

The blond quirked a brow at that, "What about him?"

"I-I'm here to see Eric." Cecilia's voice shook with uncertainty, fear gripping her heart. The bouncer's entire demeanor had changed, shifting from slightly coy intimidation to that of a defensive wildcat ready to pounce. Sissy was starting to think that she really fucking hated vampires.

"So I gathered," the woman bit out, "but what business do you have with him? And spit it out, I haven't got all night."

"… Sookie sent me." This earned Sissy another coy eyebrow raised as she was stared down for another moment, before the bouncer rolled her eyes.

"Of course… Wait here." She disappeared into the bar gracefully, leaving Cecilia outside. She found herself shivering slightly, despite the heat, and panting for breath in the woman's absence. Silently, she swore to herself that she was _never_ coming back to Fangtasia again, because that was a fucking scary-ass bitch. Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, her lips pulled into a pout. Sookie was lucky she loved her. Damn her sweetness and kindness and adorable…ness. There was a good chance all that was not worth this favor, because if Sissy pissed her pants tonight, she was going to hold a grudge against anyone involved.

"Cecilia? Cecilia St. John?" From behind her, a familiar voice echoed. She could not place it, but Sissy knew she had heard it once upon a time in New York. Turning, her eyes fell upon a middle-aged man dressed in skin-tight black leather, with sandy brown hair that was short but slightly mussed and blue eyes that sparkled with surprise, recognition, and confusion. It took her a few moments, used to seeing him dressed in a business suit rather than this interesting get-up, to place the slight double chin with a collection of memories of he and Jackson, the most recent of which being an introduction to his wife and children at a business dinner. Her mother had tried to set her up with his unimaginably awkward son.

Her heart caught in her throat, "M-mr. Franklin…" She did not know what to say, what to do. This was a serious problem.

"Oh my god, that _is_ you! Jesus, what the fuck are you doing down here? Your parents caught wind that you girls weren't home and are flying back as we speak; people have been searching high and low for you! And Amaryl, where is she? Come on, we'll go get her and let everyone know that you're safe." He stepped toward her and she stepped back.

"Mr. Franklin, as much as it is a pleasure to see you again, that _really_ won't be necessary. I'm doing just fine, and there's really no reason for anyone to know you saw me."

"Are you _joking_? People think you've been kidnapped; your mother's about ready to call in the FBI! In fact, I think she might have already, since you're minors." He shook his head incredulously, "You've got some real fucking nerve pulling bullshit like this, kid. And honey, there is no way you can get away with hanging around fangbanging down here. Now tell me where your sister is so we can get you home and I can stop getting calls about you… wait, you didn't fucking feed her to vampires or some shit, did you?"

"No, of course not! How dare you even ask me that! I would never do anything other than keep Amaryl perfectly safe; anyone who's ever met us knows that."

"Good, then I can be a hero for sending you both back."

"No. We aren't going anywhere." She glared back in defiance. He met her gaze with equal ferocity, gritting his teeth.

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve, you unrefined little cunt! If I was your father, I'd have beaten this swinishness right out of you _years_ ago! I don't know how the fuck Jackson manages-"

"Jackson is NOT my father!" Her fury was red hot, cheeks flushing and breath escaping in tiny pants. His mood fed off of it, her reaction provoking his anger further. He stepped forward once more, regarding her with deadly serious rage that shook him to the core.

"I'm calling your parents to tell them about you whether you come with me or not!"

She glared, "And you're going to tell them you found me at a vampire bar?"

He met her stare just as sharply, "No, I'm going to tell them I found you in Shreveport, Louisiana. You can claim it was at Fangtasia if you want, but who do you think people are going to believe: a respectable businessman and friend of your father's who's only looking out for your best interests or a runaway teenage brat who's bitter about being caught?" His sudden grip on her arm was surprisingly firm as he attempted to drag her from the premise, and she couldn't help but let out the tiniest yelp of pain.

"Is there a problem here?" Eric appeared beside them in an instant. Never before had Sissy been so happy to see him (not that he had set the bar very high, since she had never before been happy to see him). His presence was, in some sick way, calming to her, a sense of security in the knowledge that she could not be harmed on his property, if only because of the paperwork and messy legal ramifications that he was too lazy to deal with. More than that, she felt confident that if it came down to her or Franklin, Eric would pick her. As much as she caused him some annoyance, she was certain he would dislike the other man far more, if for the simple reason that he lacked a vagina. She was not sure where this sudden trust in the man came from- perhaps trust was the wrong word, since she certainly did not trust him and that omnipresent tingling of fear she had come to associate with him was inarguably present. Either way, she was decidedly more at ease with him now than she had ever been at any time previously- but it made her feel insurmountably better that he was there, in theory, to protect her. Even if there was a possibility (a strong possibility, she hated to think) that he would just kill them both to cover his ass most easily, at least Sookie was some semblance of insurance. But he also always looked out for his own survival first, so it was probably safest to play to his interests. Desperately, she yelped out an obviously lie through quivering lips, but it was something she felt certain he would address despite the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Y-yes, Eric! He's harassing me, and he's… soliciting on your property!" She calmed her voice somewhat before continuing, shooting a sharp glance to her wannabe kidnapper as she finished, "He is attempting to conduct dealings that I'm certain you would not appreciate in your area, let alone on your property, _Sheriff Northman_." Yeah, she was on a first name basis with the sheriff. Suck on that, Franklin! He didn't need to know that the two of them weren't exactly buddies… if the vampire went along with it. Cecilia tried not to think about what a big 'if' that was. Eric regarded her carefully for a moment, considering the accusations and their ramifications in regard to his own wellbeing and that of his establishment. Seemingly false or not, such actions were matters of grave seriousness and needed to be dealt with as such.

"Is he trying to sell you V?" Ok, that hadn't been what she was going for when she said 'soliciting,' but that worked too. In fact, given the nature of the establishment, it was probably a more effective accusation for her purposes. Meanwhile, the human man's eyes widened and shifted around nervously, a light sheen breaking across his forehead.

"What the fu- V? Why would you think that of all things?" he swung around to face her, trapping each of her arms in his ham-fisted grip, "Is that why you're here, you're fucking hooked on that shit?" From all around, Sissy felt the world closing in, confusion ringing in her ears. When had this turned onto her? For not the first time since she had taken Amaryl and left home, she felt that she was a little fish in a big pond- no, an ocean. She had tried to keep up with the sharks and was being eaten, had tried to play with fire and was getting burned.

She floundered for what to say, "No, I-"

"Where are you getting it? TELL ME!" He shook her violently and threw her to the ground, forcing another cry from her throat. Her father's associate, the upstanding Mr. Franklin, was no longer in touch with reality. Settled over his mind was the fog of addiction and lust, the sick and warped control that vampire blood held over anything it touched. This man could, and undoubtedly would, kill her if it meant getting to what he wanted, getting to this source he had imagined up. She stared up at him with eyes like a frightened bunny, tensed and fearful of what was to come as she curled into the fetal position. But he would not, could not hurt her. Eric had him in a moment, holding him up by the back of his strange excuse for a leather shirt.

"That," he spoke sharply, his voice physically cutting through the air like a knife with threat and menace, "is enough. I won't have you harming underage girls on my property." He tossed him to the ground unceremoniously a few feet away.

"Leave- immediately- or I will have you dealt with." Franklin did not have to be told twice. He scampered off in terror down the road while whipping out his phone, probably having taken a taxi to get there and calling another. He would not risk summoning the authorities while still looking so compromised, that much was certain.

On the ground, Cecilia shook and shivered uncontrollably, tremors wracking her body. A few scant tears escaped her eyes, not large enough to roll down her cheeks and only sticking to her eyelashes but noticeably there. She was moments away from a panic attack, inconsolable sobbing and screaming and irrationality. Everything around her was deafening, overwhelming her until she could hardly feel the ground beneath her form. But, at the same time, she could feel it all too well. It hurt her down to her bones where she was thrown to it, her head pounding heavily from the whiplash of being shaken. Her scalp ached- had he grabbed her hair at some point while she was on the ground? She couldn't really remember, but she thought so. Her breathing was uneasy and hindered, ragged at best and watery. Her mind had not quite wrapped around what had just happened. All she could think about was that she was a little girl, too young to be dealing with all this shit and already too tired of the world. Had Eric Northman not been there, who knew what would have happened- perhaps again. And that was something she did not think she could live through.

Suddenly, Eric had her by the elbows, "Get up." He ordered gruffly, yanking her to a standing position and hardly giving her a moment to steady herself before letting go.

"Follow me." She did as she was told, still too thrown to comprehend anything other than simple instruction, tripping after him into the bar. She did not look up at anyone, did not look around the bar. In such a state, she would not have seen anything even if she did. She just followed like an abused puppy too afraid to stray from his master. Eric stopped suddenly and shoved her into a door, by no means gently but certainly not with intent to harm, and it gave a little under her weight.

"Calm yourself down; I have no patience to deal with this. I'll have Ginger bring you to my office." He stalked off as she looked up, realizing through the fog of hysteria that he had left her at the ladies room. Slowly, with an unsteady hand, she reached for the door. It opened suddenly toward her, a busty brunette in a scant little pole-dancing outfit stepping out. She was majestic and seductive looking, with the legendary perfection of young Slavic features, the kind of face and body that made a young girl quit carbs in envy. Under normal circumstances, Sissy too would have been uncomfortably covetous, and somewhere through the fog of the emotion, she was. The young woman looked Cecilia up and down, frowning, and huffed past, heels clicking as she made her way. Allowing a shiver to pass down her spine, she stepped inside the bathroom. It was abandoned now, a testament to how empty the club was at the moment, and for that, she was grateful. She locked herself in the furthest stall, starting to hyperventilate, and grabbed a scrap of toilet paper to put down the seat. Finally seated, she allowed her frayed edges to come a bit more undone. Her lungs constricted erratically, tears slipping down her cheeks as she choked sobs and dropped her head into her hands, for once forgetting her reservations about the lack of sanitation in public bathrooms. For over a minute she shook and sobbed hysterically and hyperventilated into her palms, heart pounding in her ears, before it all just stopped. A shaky numbness spread across her body, so that she had no idea what to do with herself. Talking herself down seemed like the most prudent decision.

"Ok," she whispered to herself, "you're ok, it's all ok. You got this, just breathe, take a deep breath…" It took only a few more moments to regain any control of herself, at least to the point where she could function, and she stepped from the stall to the sinks to wash her hands and clean up. As she washed, her eyes searched around the bathroom. She was looking to ground herself in reality to calm her nerves.

It was a surprising in its appearance, now that she cared to look. Tastefully decorated, there were dim hanging lights and rustic looking mirrors, all livened by the lush red upholstery. The surrounding walls were adorned with tiny caricatures that were rather cute, if not a bit morbid. A creepy vampire baby smiled slyly at little red riding hood, who carried the wolf's severed head in her basket. Its eyes stared wide and dead out across the bathroom, sending a shiver down her spine and contrasting unsettlingly with the sweetness of the girl's face. A drunk and drug addled Alice had left Wonderland to make a couple of appearances, along with a similar looking brunette, and the stereotypical bats and menacing vamps were almost laughable. One sort of looked like Count von Count from Sesame Street. Sissy supposed they were going for kitschy, in order make the place just a bit more human-friendly. It worked, she thought, though it was hard to imagine the more sexually charged women taking the room seriously, despite its seductive mood lighting.

Her studying gaze dropped from the walls to the mirror, onto her own features. It was something Sissy did often, virtually every time she looked at herself. She spent an abhorrent amount of time (although, for a teenage girl, perhaps simply an average amount) regarding herself curiously and attempting to discern exactly what the objective appraisal was regarding her appearance. She was pretty, she sometimes supposed, though that opinion often shifted back and forth depending on the day. Tonight, however, she did not really see herself as such. She looked paler than usual; despite the slight tan she had developed in the strong southern sun, her skin lacking blood from the shock of earlier. The lighting of the room only served to further whiten her complexion, even making her seem even bit yellow, and the stress of everything going on paired with being a teenager left her with a bit of a break-out that she had desperately covered with make-up. The shadows under her eyes were a little noticeable, though not terribly so, and the pallor of her face made her blush stand out like that of a porcelain doll. She swiped a hand across each cheek, though it did little good, and she noted idly that she did, in fact, have high cheek bones, even if they were not very pronounced outside of when she smiled. Her nose was decent, mostly straight unless one stared long enough to notice the barest hint of a bump near the tip. She did like her lips, full and pink, even if she thought her teeth were a little too big. She had tweezed and shaped her eyebrows, so they weren't too thick anymore and looked womanly, so those would do. Her best feature, Cecilia decided not for the first time, was her eyes. They were big and round, framed by long, thick lashes and kohl black liner, made up of swirling honey and gold. Despite being her youngest feature, so doe-like and full of innocence, they twinkled with curiosity and intelligence, and they were the windows to her soul. They were her father's eyes.

She had calmed herself by that point, thinking of her father and the short time they had spent together in her childhood. Still, there was no desire to linger. She was more than ready to drop off whatever it was Sookie wanted her to give to Eric and get the fuck out of that place. It really was nice (considering the type of establishment it was), but tonight had been more than enough excitement. Unfortunately, Sissy had absolutely no idea of where Eric's office was or how to get there, and she really didn't feel like chatting up a bunch of kinky strangers to find out. She figured, though, that she didn't have much of a choice, so she squared her shoulders and marched herself from the bathroom. Waiting outside was another scantily clad woman, this one older and very blond. She was sickeningly skinny but far more pleasant than anyone else she had met that night. The woman introduced herself as Ginger and led the way to Eric's office, something Sissy vaguely remembered him mentioning but could not be certain about. The whole way, Ginger was chatty and lively, and the conversation served to soother her much more than expected. It was nice to know that not everyone around the Bon Temps and Shreveport areas were cutthroat and evil. She was just a little crazy and desperate, enough so to be a cocktail waitress in a vampire bar. As they parted ways outside Eric's door, Sissy reminded herself not to spend too much time around vampires, lest she too forget to eat and end up looking as emaciated Ginger.

Before she could knock, Eric summoned Cecilia in, and she stepped into his office. He was leaning against the front of his desk, tilted back with an aura of complete control and importance. He regarded her with a smirk, though his eyes were discerning as he swept her form to gauge her wellbeing. That usual sensation of crippling fear and discomfort engulfed her form, and she shuffled uncertainly toward him, but stopped a few feet away. He inclined his head to the guest chair in front of his desk.

"Please, have a seat. And a drink." She noticed for the first time that a glass of water was perched beside him. It was innocent enough, meant to ease her in case she was still worked up, and she wondered who's idea that was, since it certainly was not that of the vampire before her. She imagined it was due to Ginger, but that did not give her any desire to come close enough to him to take it.

Sissy shook her head, "No thank you, Mr. Northman." Seeing she was mostly back to her normal level of terror at his presence, Eric allowed his eyes to relax back into his smirking, haughty expression. He did so enjoy toying with those weaker than him, and he got straight to it.

"Very well… So what brings you here, Ms. St John? Business on Ms. Stackhouse's behalf, I presume?"

"Um, yes. She wanted me to give you this." Reaching into the front pocket of her sweatshirt, she removed the envelope to which she had been entrusted. It was somewhat crumpled now, from the excitement of the night, but otherwise no worse for the wear. She held it out to him uncertainly, looking down and gripping it from the furthest edge possible as she did so. She was happier to be rid of it than she probably should have been, given that it was just an envelope. When Eric took it, he made sure to run his fingers across her hand, relishing her increased fear and discomfort as he did so. For a moment he frowned, realizing Sookie had eluded him by sending Cecilia as her messenger, but he tossed the delivery behind him on the desk nonetheless. He would deal with it in a moment, when she was gone. Now there was a different issue to be addressed, and the fact that Cecilia had not opened the delivery did not escape him.

"You didn't read it?"

"No… that was it, so I guess I'll go now?" What was meant to be an announcement of her departure somehow turned into a question, and she did not make a move to leave. Another silence set in for a moment.

"You know, little girl, I think I was wrong about you." Eric commented thoughtfully, looking her up and down as he eyed her like prey, "Perhaps the pretty face _isn't_ just to hide an empty head."

"Um… thank you?" She looked up at him uncertainly, eyes shining with innocence. He turned away and sat at his desk, lounging in his chair and leaning back casually in an aura of complete control. She remained standing.

"You need money and Merlotte's can't give you many hours, correct?"

"Yes…" It was unclear to her where he was going with this. She did not even want to think about how he knew it all in the first place.

"Then you will put in some hours here."

Sissy looked taken aback, "W-what? What kind of work could you possibly use me for in a _vampire bar_? I can't serve alcohol in the state of Louisiana until I'm eighteen, hence my problem at Merlotte's, and even if it was legal for an underage girl to pole-dance, I wouldn't." Eric smirked at that and looked her up and down, implying that he wouldn't mind seeing her up there. She glared back and mumbled something about him being a pedophile, eliciting an amused chuckle.

"We can find odd jobs around here for you; taking stock, perhaps, or secretarial work… cleaning?" She stared back at him uncertainly. Those were all simple, menial tasks, nothing that he needed to go out of his way to employ her for. She knew Sookie did not put him up to it, the blond would never trust this vampire like that, not with a young girl like Cecilia. He wanted something from her, though what someone like she could possibly have that Eric Northman would want was a complete mystery to her.

"Why do I feel like there's more to it than that?"

"Hm, smart little girl… the thing is, you're seventeen and you _look_ seventeen- most of the time. After a while, we vampires can no longer accurately judge age. And to humans, you can doll yourself up to look of age, like I know you love to do, or you can look just as young as you look right now. You come in looking like an innocent eighteen-year-old that just stumbled into her first vampire bar, and you'll pull a lot out of the woodwork. I'm sure there are plenty of humans willing to get a young girl addicted to V- especially since he's the only one she would know who can supply it- or vampires that want to take advantage of a pretty little thing like you… I simply want to weed out these individuals, and _you_ are going to help me. Tonight proved that you will be more than acceptable for such a role."

Cecilia looked at him like he was crazy, "But Sookie-"

"-is bitter and has her own reasons for not coming here, which do not concern you. Anyway, even if she _was_ willing to work here, it wouldn't matter. She has become far too high profile to be of any use to me in this capacity. And, due to some meddlesome civil rights laws, it's difficult to search somebody or remove them from the premise without probable cause, like catching them in the act. It's not so much that I mind the clientele being here that I mind them conducting their personal business on my property. I simply want to set a few examples, so it no longer happens here. They seem to think that they can do whatever they want right under my nose; it's rather insulting. And rest assured," he sent her a charming grin; "Pam and I will be keeping an eye on you at all times." That wasn't exactly comforting to her.

"I'm not even technically allowed to be here, I mean, I'm not old enough."

"Easily fixed," Eric waved a dismissive hand, "I can easily arrange for a fake ID, and no one would be the wiser to my providing it."

"I dunno, Mr. Northman… I really appreciate the offer, but it still sounds too dangerous."

He jotted down a number on a piece of paper and folded it in half, holding it out her, "You will, of course, being compensated handsomely for your services." She regarded him curiously and took the paper, furrowing her brow as she opened it. The zeros made her eyes bug out of her head at first, but she shook her head.

"That _is_ a lot of money, but I don't think-"

"Per night." He clarified.

"Are you kidding me? This is like- I mean; just one night would be enough for us to start on the right foot to rent our own place!"

"Good, then you accept. I am aware that Merlotte's closes at 1am, but I know your ever so rare shifts do not usually run that late. Once you are finished there, you will come straight here to Fangtasia in order to begin your new duties."

"Woah woah woah, I can't leave a six-year-old alone in a house all night!" Cecilia snapped incredulously, earning a quirked brow.

"Why not? In California the legal age for a child to stay home alone is eight, and she is nearly that old. And in Louisiana there is no set legislation on the matter."

She shook her head, "Well just because you can doesn't mean you should! No, I'm sorry Mr. Northman. This is a very generous offer, and I'm truly grateful, really I am, but I just can't accept, not with my responsibilities to Amaryl. Between the hours I put in at Merlotte's-" he gave her a pointed look, because she barely had any to speak of, but that was hardly the point "-and the hours I'd be putting in here, plus the commute between the two… I'm sorry, but I just don't think it can be done.

"And don't you think it'll seem kind of suspicious for me to be here, sticking out like a sore thumb?"

"As I mentioned, it happens. The sweet doe-eyed, new to the vampire world gig catches interest easily."

"And your idea is to dangle a virgin sacrifice and hope for the best?"

He snorted derisively, shooting her a scathing look, "Let's not pretend to be anything we're not."

"What?"

"I can smell the difference, as can any other vampire you meet, so it makes it even more laughable when you try to lie." Cecilia was at a loss for words, and Eric smirked back at her, relishing the upper hand, "What? Isn't this the part where you swear it was a one-time thing, and he swore he loved you, and that, gee whiz, you're just a sweet, good little girl who was naughty one time and feels just oh so bad about it?"

"That is _none_ of your business."

"Then I suggest you stop lying to me so that we can get back to the matter at hand." It was silent for a few moments, as she tried to brush away the awkwardness and embarrassment of the situation before meeting his gaze. Eric acted like he had already lost interest in the subject, because really, what did he care about some silly little girl having lousy car sex on prom night after Jimmy gave her his varsity pin and asked to go steady? But he filed the information away for future reference, just in case he should ever need it. Sissy was less willing to let it drop right off the bat, shaken by the conversation's turn, but did her best nonetheless.

"Look, I don't even know if I can stay here anymore. Once Mr. Franklin calls back to New York-"

"That is already taken care of. One of my underlings has been sent after him, and he shall have no recollection of tonight's occurrences. Now, back to the matter at hand… You are currently residing with Ms. Stackhouse; simply have her take care of the child."

It took a moment before Cecilia answered, wrapping her mind around the new information he had just thrown at her while being so blasé, "N-no, I can't ask that of her. She already does far too much for us; I couldn't take advantage of her kindness… you, what's it called… glamoured him?"

He shrugged, "Yes, as I said, one of my underlings did… I could always send one to watch over the brat in your stead, as well."

"You want me to trust my precious baby sister to some sketchy, mind-controlling vampire under _your_ employ? Sorry, I think not. Look lemme just… let me talk to Sookie. I'll think things over, and maybe- MAYBE- I'll reconsider your offer." The man regarded her coolly from behind the desk and nodded. He no longer looked at her, instead picking up a pen and setting to work on some papers sitting before him.

"I suppose there is no rush. Get back to me with your answer shortly." Cecilia nodded rather than answering verbally, and understanding that she had been dismissed, made her way to the door. Upon opening it, she stepped only halfway through before she paused and turned back to the handsome man that was already diligently at work.

"Hey Eric," he looked up at the mention of his first name, and with one eyebrow raised he met her soft but grateful smile.

"Thanks." She did not wait for his response before slipping out the door and shutting it behind her.

* * *

The drive home was filled with heavy rumination and dark ponderings. The whole thing just did not sit right in her stomach, and her head hated it even more. Eric Northman did _not_ help people, even if it was in his own interests. The whole thing stank like… like… well, she was not yet southern enough to come up with a good analogy, but something was rotten in the state of Denmark (and at least she still remembered her Shakespeare). It was ridiculous; Sissy could not accept the job, there was no way. And she was certain that Sookie would agree with her. She was weighing the likelihood of death upon refusal, when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She usually never answered her phone while driving, too dangerous and too easy to get pulled over, but her mind was in other places.

"Ok," Sam's voice cut through without pageantry, "I'm never gonna sleep if I don't deal with this- my conscience is eating me alive. And hell, nobody else will take that half-finished dump anyway, so it's not like I'd actually be losing any money. So I'll tell you what, I'll bring down the price a bit and we can work out, I don't know, a payment plan or something." Her eyes watered slightly, and she hated herself for every way she was ruining these people's lives.

"Sam-"

"No, Sissy, I know what you're gonna say, and it's not charity. Gettin' a little money for that place is better than gettin' none at all and-"

"_Sam_, seriously don't worry about it; I just got a second job. I'll have the money for you soon."

She had another phone call to make, and she could already hear Eric's smirk through the phone. God, Sookie was going to kill her.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

R_S: So I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. I think it does a decent job of showing how young she really is and how helpless she is compared to most of the canon characters. The progression from trying to calmly work her way out of the situation to full blown panic (with typical teenage loss of patience sprinkled within) was really fun to write.

Let me know what you think!


	5. Slumber Party Blunder

R_S: So this chapter's kinda short, cuz I'm trying to move things along to get to Godric. It's taking longer than anticipated, unfortunately.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Slumber Party Blunder**

Cecilia continued her surreptitious work at Fangtasia for a few weeks and was surprisingly better at playing the part than Eric had expected- not that he had set the bar particularly high. Still, though, he was begrudgingly impressed. True, her skills at lying left something to be desired, and were she expected to act as a V addict to begin with, she would surely have been dead by the end of her first night. But the beauty of their agreement was that she did not have to be anything more than what she actually was. She just showed up in a shirt that was just a little more… _leather_ than she would like, and her discomfort was palpable throughout the bar. There was not even any need to assuage suspicion when she was the first 'customer' there; of course she would think it normal to come at the time Fangtasia opened- she was still young and new to the vampire bar scene, and these were likely some of her first times at any club at all. She did not know any better about the faux pas of being too early. And, because vampires could smell her lack of virginity, it maintained some level of believability- she may be young and new to this scene, but they did not know how many humans she might have slept with. It was like Christmas had come early to all the evil little shits that lurked there and annoyed him every night, though it was found that the majority of them were harmless. The regulars who were not looking for trouble grew used to her presence, and after the novelty of their first night seeing her passed (not many innocent little things showed up there), they ceased paying attention. Flirtatious newcomers were politely declined, and Celia was able to sidestep the more unsavory individuals when her unwillingness to drink was chalked up to nervousness over the presence of vampires or being caught whilst under age. Her recurring presence a couple nights a week became normal for those who worked there, as well as the friendlier patrons. Eric did not enjoy her presence, but it certainly was more of a help and less than a hindrance than expected (though she _had_ been annoyingly jumpy in the beginning). Plus, it kept him more easily connected to Sookie.

Even Pam was warming up to the idea- even if she did not particularly like Sissy, the brat was certainly useful by merit of being one of the few humans who were not entirely brain dead… Just the other week, she picked up an order from a shop that was not vampire friendly but still sold the cutest shoes. And the blond would not wish Ginger's fashion input on her worst enemies, so of course she was the one to fix the kid up for work. But she was annoyingly self-conscious and fidgety, and that made her exponentially less attractive.

For her part, Cecilia herself was enjoying this new life a shocking amount. It gave her a surprising amount of time to fiddle around with chords and new lyrics, and she was even trying her hand at a bit of writing- poetry, fiction, short articles she picked at random for a bit of practice. It was a challenge, but she enjoyed it, just as she was finding with all her recent undertakings. Work at Merlotte's was a blast, and it was a shame she could not put more hours in- she was only an extra waitress for the really busy times or if one of the girls called in sick. Sam rationalized that it meant paying regular wage rather than overtime, so hiring her could have cut costs, but it hardly mattered. Plus, he had decided to see if she could design him a neat little webpage, just something to post hours and menus on, maybe someplace to mention specials or events like live bands. She jumped at the chance, even though she really only knew the bare bones of computer… stuff. Still, Cecilia was a pretty determined little thing, and she had picked up a book on coding so she could work on it. The site was coming along nicely (a little slowly, but nicely), so Sam was satisfied with her work.

The house she rented from him was coming along nicely as well. It turned out to need very little in the way of additional construction, and aside from a few days of workers coming in, it was not too complicated of a DIY project. What hours weren't spent at Merlotte's or Fangtasia or working on her own stuff were mostly spent painting and fixing little by little, though they had not even been able to move in yet and still were with Sookie and Tara. The work was oddly relaxing, though it was difficult to make a lot of headway with a six-year-old to watch, let alone multiple children. Holly, Arlene, and she had taken to sharing child duty. It saved them all the money and inconvenience of hiring an actual baby sitter. She had even done Sam a solid once and watched his girlfriend's daughter for a night. She refused payment, obviously, insisting that he had done enough for her, but the couple left some cash on the kitchen counter regardless. She used it to add to her absurdly increasing Fangtasia wardrobe. Working there was not ideal, far from it in fact. But she felt much safer there than she would have anticipated, and she even thought that maybe Eric and Pam were warming up to her… a little… ish. Well, vampires were never actually warm, so really that was a lot to ask, but the point still stood. And she was making good money there, at least, enough to make due for the time being. They even terrified her slightly less than when she started, meaning that she did not even stutter once while talking to Eric… She liked to tell herself that it was the little victories that meant the most.

Sissy glanced at the bags beside the front door as she entered the house, arms laden with bags of take-out, and it filled her with a bittersweet feeling. Tonight was the last night she and Amaryl would be spending underneath Sookie's roof. The new house, during the addition's final stages of construction, was found to have an absurd and varying amount of infestations. A chill still went down her back when she thought of it (you can take the girl out of the city…). So, before they could move in, it had to be fumigated and the like. Not for the first time, Cecilia counted her blessings for having a little sister. It gave her many excuses for her actions, like watching Disney movies or listening to Alvin and the Chipmunks or, in this case, not moving into a house with vermin to protect her sister and definitely not because crawly things tended to give her the heebie-jeebies.

Anyway, in honor of their last night together, they were embracing it. An impromptu slumber party was planned, which worked out marvelously. Sookie convinced Holly to cover her shift, and Sissy somehow stood her ground enough to tell Eric she needed the night off. Ok, so she did it over the phone, but it definitely still counted as standing her ground. And she counted the fact that she thought she might kind of just barely amuse his progeny and he as another victory- through the extremely vocal annoyance at her absence, she sensed the subtlest hints of amusement at her polite and blatantly fearful but determined refusal to come in. She planned on using that to sleep later than night, when she rationalized that maybe if they found her amusing in a pathetic way they wouldn't violently kill her for missing a day.

So, that's how Cecilia found herself moving around the kitchen, arms laden with junk-food and discussing the evening's plans with Sookie as Amaryl bathed.

"I vote we watch something super girly, something we could _never_ watch with the menfolk… oooh, and classic, so we can quote the lines!"

Sookie giggled, "Alright, like what?"

"Don't judge me, but I'm sort of obsessed with old-school chick flicks like _The Princess Bride_ and _Gidget_."

"… I've never even heard of _Gidget_."

"What?" Sissy pretended to look affronted, "How can someone _not_ have seen _Gidget_? It's the ultimate!" She gave a wry smile, trying to show that she was quoting ironically, but it was lost on Sookie, so she continued.

"Ok, this is a travesty that simply must be remedied post-haste. Lucky for you, I found the DVD at a garage sale in Shreveport a couple weeks again, and I've been dying for an excuse to watch it."

"Ah, so this is a set-up."

"Ya caught me- guilty as charged. I'll set up the food, and we can watch it during dinner."

Sookie giggled, "Ok, darlin'. Sounds good."

* * *

"I got some pie in the kitchen, want some?" Sookie asked. She and Sissy were cuddled up on the couch watching some silly reality show and hardly paying attention, more just relaxing. Amaryl had been put to bed not long after dinner, and they had already exhausted the selection of movies both could agree on (what Sissy had called the 'genius' of _Gidget_ was mostly lost on Sookie, but luckily _The Princess Bride_ would never be denied). They were starting to think that, perhaps, they were just too old for sleepovers. Growing up had a way of accomplishing that. So, now they were seeking amusement in vast amounts of junk food, though one of them was making it a little difficult.

She made a face, "No thanks; I hate pie."

"You hate pie? Who hates _pie_?"

"I dunno… I don't like my fruit all mushy n' gross."

"Oh…" Sookie looked away, back at the meaningless drivle on the television, "I never knew that." It was silent for only a moment before she continued.

"Y'know, it's kind of funny… I know how you like your eggs in the morning and how you wrinkle your nose when you're embarrassed n' real intimate stuff like that, but I never learned any of the stuff that most girls talk 'bout first. Like," she flipped to face the younger girl suddenly, sitting on her knees, "what's your type? Of guy, I mean."

Cecilia blushed, "Oh, I dunno… I'm not sure I have a type, really. I more can tell when guys _aren't_ my type, y'know?" Sookie nodded sagely in response.

"Yeah hun, but y'all gotta be careful… There's a fine line, n' you do _not_ wanna cross it."

She nodded and raised her glass in toast, "Duly noted and much obliged." She giggled, "So what about you? Was it the dark and mysterious thing that drew you to Bill or the old southern gentleman charm? You're way too classy to be a run-of-the-mill fangbanger."

"Bill and me… we're hard to explain, Sissy. Heck, ya might as well as me why the sky's blue-"

"Light refraction."

"… wha?"

"It's light refraction, from the ocean… I don't really know what that means, but I was curious once and asked my science teacher, Dr. Briggs. Although maybe I'm confusing that with rainbows…" Sookie stared at her. "Sorry, you were saying about Bill?"

"Right… Well anyway, that was a long story. I don't much like to dredge it up, but what we have was special."

Sissy smiled at her softly, placing a hand on hers, "It really shows." Sookie blushed and looked down.

"He was my first, ya know."

"Your first-" Sissy's eyebrows shot up, "Oh my god, you mean like your _first_ your first?"

The blond giggled, "Yeah, it's hard to get intimate with a guy when you can hear his every thought. I didn't used to be so good at controlling it."

"Is it like, I dunno, weird being with a vampire? Cold and the like?" Sookie shrugged.

"I guess; I don't really have anything to compare it to… What's it like making love to a human?" She teased.

Cecilia looked down, "I wouldn't really know… I've never made love to anyone."

"Aw, well darling that's nothing to be ashamed of! You _are_ awful young; you just haven't found the right guy yet, but you will." She smiled, "Let's forget about this and do our nails. I'm thinking a bright, summery green."

The two dissolved into giggles.

* * *

"I miss them." Sookie said to Bill, cleaning up at the end of her shift. They were in the back, him leaning against the wall as he watched dump dirty dishes into a bin of soapy water to be washed and waited to take her home.

"Sookie, it's been less than a week, and they aren't living that far away."

"Well, we're close. Sissy shares just about everything with me, and well, it's kind of nice being an older sister for once and having them around all the time."

He chuckled, "Then think of it this way: the baby bird's got to fly from the nest some time." She splashed a bit of water at him as they laughed.

"I just worry about them, all alone in that house. Sissy can't handle this on her own; I know she thinks she can, but she can't. Heck," she snorted, dumping more dishes into the bin, "she sure isn't ready to be a mom if she ain't even ready to have sex yet."

"What?" Bill interrupted, confused.

She turned to him, "Well, you know- she's just seventeen, so it makes sense she's still a virgin. Don't look so surprised, it isn't that weird. There _are_ still some classy girls in this day n' age." She could not help but look a little proud, as though Sissy really _was_ her little sisters.

"That's not why I'm having issues, Sookie… It's because, well, she is not a virgin." The blond nearly dropped the glass she was holding.

"What? Are you sure?"

He nodded, "I am certain."

"Oh my god…" Sookie leaned back against the wall beside her, anger building at the thought of everything she had done for those girls, "she lied to me."

**End of Chapter**

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R_S: Let me know how you guys think it's going!


	6. Little Runaways

R_S: Sorry this little chappy took so long, things are a little crazy for me. This is the last chapter in Bon Temps for a while… Just something quick to move the plot along, and then we get to the good stuff.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Little Runaways**

Cecilia's week was going to shit alarmingly fast, and it was all she could do not to scream and cry and pull her hair out by the roots. It started out alright, with the excitement of finally moving into the first place that was _all fucking hers_! But, doesn't it figure that nothing can ever go quite right? The house was a mess, dust all over the place from the construction and covered with tarps and shit. The pests were gone, but according to her new and alarmingly nosy neighbors, the only way to keep them from coming back was to adopt a new family member of the feline variety, which she had neither the time nor the money for at that particular time. So, she decided to put some extra hours in that night at Fangtasia to start a little cat budget. According to her incredibly verbose sources, she had about a month, two at most, before the risk of another infestation set in. Even though it wasn't definite, it was decidedly not worth the risk and better to get some extra money now than later. She ended up having to leave Amaryl with Terry and Arlene, because for some unfathomable reason, Sookie wasn't talking to her. Honestly, she had no idea why- they had left on such a good note after the other night. Regardless, she was starting to get pissed and wondering what crawled up the little blond tart's ass and died there. Then, to top it all off, of course work at a freaking vampire bar couldn't just be a nice quiet evening, oh no. She had to end up busting some thuggish vamps that had been luring away young female clientele from the bar. It got her an incredibly hefty bonus, ostensibly because she looked so shaken Eric was afraid she might quit, but it was hardly worth it; her arms were still all bruised up from the little encounter and there were the occasional nightmares- 3 out of 5 nights that week. It was clear that Sookie noticed, gaze sweeping across the purple marks and her tired eyes, and for a moment she looked alarmed, like she was about to take the girl into her arms, but her face fell into a practiced coolness and she disregarded the issue. Sissy was pretty sure she looked into her head to see what had happened, too, but the blatant disregard for her personal privacy was pretty low on her list of priorities at the moment. At the end of the night, Sam informed her that she could take the week off, because she wasn't much needed at the moment (and probably because she looked like an exhausted hot mess). Again, not the hugest deal- she had the second job that just earned her a healthy bonus and could use the extra free time to catch up on sleep, work on the house, and get other matters settled (like furthering the search for her dad, which was falling alarmingly to the wayside), but still, money was money and she sure as hell needed it.

She groaned audibly, pulling into the parking lot of Fangtasia, "'m too tired for this shit…" she grumbled despite her five-hour 'nap' earlier, unbuckling her seatbelt and cracking her back. She flipped down the mirror to check herself- eyes neatly lined (though she touched them up nonetheless), lips pink, hair as neat as can be expected in the Louisiana damp, and yeah, her dress was actually pretty fab tonight. She treated herself to a sexy dress that was both work appropriate (well, given the circumstance) and cute, in an effort to improve her mood.

Even Pam noticed the difference as she gave her the usual cursory once-over, "Cecilia."

"Hey, Pam." With the added confidence boost of wearing something she for once wasn't even a little bit ashamed of, she knew she could just relax and keep a low profile for the night and break the stride of this hell of a week.

Famous last words.

"Bill, we need to go- _now_. Sissy needs us." Sookie snapped her phone and grabbed her coat, scooping it off the chair across from them. The vampire buttoned his shirt quickly.

"I thought you were mad at her?"

"It's important- Eric called and said there was an incident at Fangtasia. She's my friend and she needs me. Now let's go; we're meeting at her place and need to pick up Amaryl on the way." Bill scooped her up and used his vampire speed to expedite the journey to the car, his characteristic concerned scowl etched onto his face as they pulled away from his house and toward the Fowler-Bellefleur residence. He glanced carefully at the blond beside him whose lips puckered in deep thought, unmindful of the vehicle's speed.

"Do we know what has happened?"

She shook her head, "Not much 'bout it, just that there were some vamps causing trouble that came after her… But I figured it had to be serious if Eric was going through all that trouble to call me." Bill snorted at that last part.

"Eric needs little excuse to contact you. Are these the same vampires you believe are responsible for her recent unhappiness?"

"I'm not sure, but I think so. I _told_her taking this job was a bad idea, Bill. Now I'm just worried about her making it home to her sister alive."

He reached over and took her hand in his, "Things will be alright. Just try to keep calm and do not assume anything is worse than we know it is, especially once we have fetched Amaryl. Children can sense that sort of unease."

"Fine, I will… And maybe you shouldn't drive like this when she's in the car."

"Duly noted." They pulled up to the house, "Shall I wait in the car while you get her?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea- you know how Arlene gets round vampires."

Cecilia looked a little roughed up, Sookie thought, but otherwise not much more worse for the wear than she had been the past few days, and Amaryl hardly seemed to notice anything amiss before running upstairs for a bath. The look of uncertainty and relief that flashed across her face when she showed up, gathering the younger girl into her arms, had nearly broken her heart. Sissy had cried a little, wholly unaccustomed to the stress of this sort of life, and she buried herself against Sookie, betraying her youth as Eric and she recounted the tail. Apparently the vampires that had been taking advantage of Fangtasia were part of an underground ring that kept young women hostage as food and slaves for other vampires. They weren't even big players, merely thugs responsible for a little bit of grunt work, but their humiliation was something that the entire organization felt warranted some twisted vengeance. Much older, stronger vamps attacked the bar that night, targeting Eric and her for their involvement. They were dealt with quickly, but more were certain to come.

"Well," Bill sighed, "now that there are vampires who recognize you with vengeful intent, you can't stay here in Bon Temps any longer."

"But… where will we go?" She looked up at him helplessly, tears in her eyes. They couldn't head towards New York, it was too risky, and leaving the country was virtually out of the question. Sookie sat beside her, wrapping the girl soothingly in her arms.

"Further west." Eric announced, striding into the room like he owned the place. Sookie was beginning to really regret ever inviting him into Sissy's and her homes. As it was, she rolled her eyes and shot him a pointed look.

"Oh yeah, because they won't be expecting _that_. Out west where?"

He smirked sanctimoniously at her, "Dallas." Sookie's mouth fell into an understanding 'o' and Bill nodded in understanding.

"Texas? Why Texas?" Cecilia questioned curiously, looking between the three with the realization that they knew something she did not.

"There's a place there where you can stay, under my accompaniment of course. After all, this trouble all started as a result of your doing me a favor, so the least I can do is ensure your safety until this all clears up." He sent the young girl another one of his more charming looks, earning a withering glare from Sookie.

Meanwhile, Cecilia just shook her head, "But people at Fangtasia-"

"Saw nothing incriminating and have no knowledge of you employment by me. As far as they know, you are nothing more than a young girl being accosted in some way while a customer in my establishment. Pam will be taking care of things in my absence, and she is under strict personal instruction on what to tell both the police and any vampire authorities who may come sniffing around. I saw a man acting towards you in a threatening manner and intervened, asking both of you to vacate the premise. I never gained any intimate knowledge of who either of you were, nor have I seen you since the incident. Pam did not witness it, as she was at the door checking IDs when it happened. If they require any more information, she will give them my number and I will corroborate our stories. I will conveniently be in Dallas paying a visit to an old friend. I've already booked a personal jet. We're on no schedule to leave, but we should depart as soon as possible, so go gather your sister's and your things immediately. Bring as much as you can; I have a feeling you will be away for quite a while."

"A personal jet? But Dallas is just a three hour drive from Shreveport…"

"Those vampires will likely be patrolling all the roads, especially westward. It's too risky. Now hurry up, we leave shortly." Sissy nodded, but she seemed to be in a daze as she got up and turned to him.

"Mr. Northman, thank you so much. I don't think I can ever repay you for what you're doing for me," she turned to Bill and Sookie, "all of you."

Bill smiled back at her, "Think nothing of it, Cecilia. Just run upstairs to fetch your sister and pack." She nodded and did so, shooting Eric a last grateful, beaming smile as she passed. As soon as she was gone, the pleasant smiles fell from the couple's faces, and they fixed the blond man with a suspicious glare.

"Alright Eric, just what in the hell are you tryin' to pull?" Sookie demanded, "Y'all never gave a rat's ass 'bout anyone but yourself, why start now?" He shrugged in feigned innocence.

"What can I say; I've developed a soft spot for the girl."

"Oh soft spot my ass!"

"Think what you will."

"Well we're coming with you." She stated it simply.

He smirked at her, "Of course you are, I assumed you would and made adequate arrangements."

"At Hotel Camilla?" Bill asked.

"No. After stepping down from his position, Godric's nest is often empty and he has plenty of extra space. He insisted on extending his hospitality." Sookie relaxed a bit at that. She certainly felt better about the situation if Godric was there to reign in Eric's… whatever Eric was, especially if it would be around the two young girls. Bill turned to her and took her hands in his.

"I will call Jessica and have her pack my things, and I will gather yours. You may remain to help the girls and make any arrangements you deem necessary." She nodded and thanked him with a kiss, and in a flash he was gone. Eric was already on his phone making further arrangements and updates, and Sookie quickly did the same. The first call was to Sam, who was extremely understanding of the situation and wished the girls well, which was surprising considering his usual abhorrence of this type of drama and the sternness with which he regarded her missing work. She suspected the St John sisters may have had a heavy hand in softening him up after his own messy childhood. He was somewhat sterner about why Sookie had to leave work as well, but she always won out against him. And anyway, he was probably relieved that he would no longer be dividing up so few hours among so many waitresses- though he did attempt to save face by asking her to remind Sissy to keep her work up on the website.

The next call, Sookie knew, was going to be a mite more challenging, and it would have been regardless if Sam had not been so uncharacteristically gracious. The phone rang only twice before Jason picked up in a thickly sleepy voice, "Hello?"

"Hey Jason, it's me." She could just barely make out the sound of him cursing under his breath.

"Shit, Sookie, what's wrong? Where are you? Is everyone alive?" She couldn't help but giggle at that before calming his nerves and explaining the situation. The blond expected him to be angry, to demand she stay in Louisiana, but she certainly had not expected the next part.

"I'm comin' with you." The distant sounds of his getting out of bed drifted through the phone.

"Jason, don't be ridiculous, that really isn't necessary. Eric and Bill, are already coming, and knowing Jessica, she'll probably demand to come too. We're gonna be stayin' with Godric."

"Nuh-uh, I learned my lesson. From now on we stay together, no secrets. We work as a team. I gotta make sure all you girls stay safe; it's my responsibility to take care of y'all. I'm at least coming to make sure they get settled in right." It was sweet how much he wanted to protect them, and she smiled but stubbornly refused anyway.

"We gotta leave real soon, since it's all on such short notice. You really won't have enough time to get all packed up n' over here, and it'd be real silly of you to come to Texas with nothing but the clothes on your back."

"With the way things've been goin', I keep an emergency bag packed n' ready just in case- enough for half a week, maybe a whole one if I don't get blood on anything." Sookie paused for a moment, impressed.

"Wow, Jason, that's surprisingly prudent of you."

"Yeah, thanks Sook. Be there in twenty." She opened her mouth to protest, but he had already hung up, so instead she just sighed and turned to the other blond. He was just finishing his own call, and turned to her.

"Well, it seems everything is quite in order."

Sookie was having none of his bullshit, "I don't know what you're up to, but you aren't getting away with it. First you find a way to get Sissy the money she needs, and then when she runs into trouble from it, you take full responsibility, which you never do. You're never this nice, Eric, _ever_. I may not know what your angle is, but know that I am watching you. You will _not_ hurt her, of that I'll make damn sure." The vampire fixed her with one of his more cunning smirks, one that seemed to say he had won and knew something she did not.

"Don't you trust me? She's certainly starting to."

* * *

**End of Chapter**

R_S: Wooh, finally getting to the Godric parts. Be excited! Feel free to leave a review to let me know what you want to see happen… actually, any input would be welcomed. Godric is exceptionally hard to write.


	7. Pizza Protector

R_S: The first Godric appearance is now… get excited. Also, I am constantly terrified that writing this story will turn into Twilight… I just thought everyone should be aware that such a thing haunts my nightmares.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Pizza Protector**

Cecilia sighed heavily, idly strumming the strings of her guitar and humming some silly tune. She jotted some notes on the paper in front of her and continued. Amaryl was taking a nap on the couch, having fallen asleep watching some old Warner Bros cartoons, so her sister was left to sit idly in the kitchen and amuse herself, keeping one eye on the child at all times. Sookie had called this a safe house, a place where she need not fret over the troubles of the time or her monetary woes. A place to stay for the month until everything was wrapped up, a vacation of sorts. Still, when she and Jason had dropped the sisters off that morning, the beautiful house was eerily quiet. Sissy couldn't help but worry that, despite the open mind she was really trying to keep with vampires, perhaps she was making a deal with the devil. Jessica was hardly a vampire, more a girl of her own age than anything else. Bill seemed kind enough, true, but also animalistic and desperate when it came to Sookie. Eric, however, was entirely different, with a cold aloofness that left her feeling neither safe nor trusting. And this was more a favor from Eric than from Bill or the Stackhouse siblings, so it was best to be on her guard. Eric and Bill were to introduce her to everything going on at nightfall, and Jason and Sookie had promised to be back by then. They had only just run out to pick the girls up a 'surprise,' something that disconcerted her. This southern hospitality was too much, and she would never be able to return the kindhearted favor. It was times like these she missed that callousness of the city, the way she could be on her own and only seek help from friends rather than strangers. Then again, what was this eclectic grouping of humans and vampires than her new closest, most dependable friends? Man, how she ended up here she would never know.

It was at this moment Sookie and Jason decided to stumble through the door, a loud bang punctuating their arrival, "God damn, I just smacked my knee on the door!"

"Ssshhhh! Jason, be quiet! You'll wake someone!" Wake someone? How could they have known Amaryl fell asleep? Then she realized how silly she was being; Bill and Eric had probably gone ahead of them once they landed in order to reach the house in a timely fashion. They had, after all, taken a red eye jet and arrived just before sunrise. Their vampire chaperones were probably in a basement or dark locked away room somewhere sleeping until sunset, and she had simply not found them because she thought it rude to explore Eric's house while he was away.

"Well sorry, Sook, but it hurt!" She resisted the urge to giggle, almost able to picture the pout on his face to accompany that whine. Jason really was adorable, such a sweetie. She really hoped he eventually stopped eyeing Jessica from afar and made some kind of a move. They'd be good together, she thought.

"Oh don't be such a baby! Hurry up n' hide this before Sissy or Amaryl sees." It would be much nicer of her, Cecilia decided, to pretend she hadn't heard anything and move herself to another room so they could more easily hide whatever it was they were doing… but she decided she wasn't quite that nice. She fixed them with a tiny grin as they entered, raising a single eye-brow.

"Whatcha got there?" Sookie blushed, and Jason almost dropped the box he was carrying, clearly more surprised to see her than his sister had been.

"Oh, uh, hey Sissy, we were just, uh, what we've got is…" The blond elbowed him to shut him up.

"Don't worry about it. How are you feeling?" She came over to where the girl was sitting and began checking all of her over- her arms, her side, her face. After the adrenaline of fear and the getaway had worn off, it turned out that Cecilia was a little more banged up than she had allowed everyone to believe. It was nothing serious, just a few cuts and a liberal decoration of bruising, but it was enough to make the Stackhouses fret. Moreover, though Sissy had assured them she was perfectly fine, they wouldn't be satisfied with her wellbeing until Bill had taken a good look and promised that he could smell/hear/whatever else nothing amiss. She had a newfound respect for Amaryl, because she was quickly finding out that being a younger sister was a serious pain in the ass.

"I'm fine, really. I was sore, so I took some Ibuprofen, and now I'm right as rain. Really, I'm great."

Jason fixed her with a big dopey grin, clearly having stashed whatever it was they brought while Sookie poked and prodded her, "Glad to hear it, darlin'. Where's the little princess?" Ames loved when Jason called her that, and she was convinced that she was going to grow up and marry him. Sissy thought it was cute, but Sookie claimed he didn't need it for his ego. Regardless, the two of them were quickly becoming like two peas in a pod, and the child had spent the whole plane ride there curled up on his lap. It was funny, because even though Cecilia didn't think she could ever be seriously interested in Jason, the way he was with her sister pulled at her stomach. She hoped one day she'd find a man for herself that treated Amaryl like that, the way Sam always treated Luna's daughter, Emma.

"Ames is on the couch taking a nap; you know how exhausting cartoons can be."

"Well then, I think I'll join her." He fixed both girls with a peck on the cheek and slipped out, waking the child just enough to have her curl up on top of him while he watched the rest of her shows and dozed. Sookie and Sissy sat in companionable silence for a while, fixing themselves cups of tea and fiddling with anything to avoid really talking to each other but neither leaving. Sissy was the first to break, never one for too long a silence.

"Thanks for coming, Sook… it really means a lot to me. I'm sorry for all the trouble."

The blond shrugged, "It wasn't anything, hun, don't worry about it." Still, a cold renewed distance hung in the air, reminding them of the last week.

"You say that, but… I _am_ sorry, I really am. You've done a lot for us, and I don't know what we're going to do to make it up to you. And I'm sorry for… for whatever I did to upset you." The blonde's fingers danced around the edge of her mug as she feigned innocence.

"I don't know what you mean…"

"Sookie, please… you've been so mad at me this past week, a-and," Sissy's eyes watered pathetically, the more she willed herself not to cry the less it worked, "and I-I don't know what do to make it b-better." Her head dropped with soft sobs. Sookie softened, moving in close beside her and placing a hand on hers.

"Oh honey, shhh, shhh… Don't. It's not worth it, not for why I was a little mad. I just… I know you weren't being totally honest with me about… about something we talked about that last night." Sniffling, Sissy's eyes darted toward the living room entryway where their siblings lay in rest.

"Sook… is there a room a little more private where we could go? I think… I think it's time we really talked."

* * *

That evening, Jason and Sookie went to meet up with Bill and Eric and bring them to the house. It had shocked Cecilia to find that they were not with them that entire time, but Sookie assured her that they had been perfectly safe. It was heartfelt and warm, especially after the hours spent reconnecting earlier, and she was reluctant to go. But apparently their undead compatriots flew to Texas with them but were detained taking care of other matters and had requested Sookie's assistance. Jason, of course, refused to allow her to go without his accompaniment. They assured the girls that they would be back before too late, probably hungry for dinner. But late for vampire and late for the St. John sisters were two entirely different definitions, and Sissy figured it was better not to hold their breath. Instead she decided to shower before ordering in and to leave the food warming in the oven until they got back- pizza, at Amaryl's request. She only ordered one large pie- after all, vampires did not eat and the average large pie had eight slices- one for Amaryl, one or two for her, and five or six for Sookie and Jason to split. In all likelihood that meant three for Jason, one for Sookie, and they would fight over the last slice. The thought made her laugh, relishing the fact that she finally had a family- quirky though they might be. So she found herself sitting in the living room playing a silly game of I Spy with Amaryl as the sun set smoothly in the horizon, giving way to darkness. After her shower, she had thrown on one of her most comfortable bras (lightly padded for extra support) under a grey tank and a pair of black leggings, and thinking she looked pretty cute despite her injuries, she even touched up her make-up… and ok, maybe some had gone on her arms, too. She just wanted to look pretty, because sometimes enjoying the little things went a long way when it came to making yourself feel just a little bit better. For her part, Amaryl looked adorable in a pair of pink leggings and a white tee-shirt with a pink kitty on the front. It was nice, comfortable… like they were living an alternative life out of House and Home magazine. She never wanted it to end.

The doorbell rang delicately through the grand home, interrupting their giggle session. The teen smiled down at her little sister.

"Go wash-up and set the table," she ordered playfully, "I'll grab the pizza. Then after dinner we can cuddle up on the couch n' watch a movie, k?" Amaryl nodded excitedly and dashed off to do as she was told. Meanwhile Cecilia stood and straightened herself out before moving gracefully to the door. On her way she passed a mirror and grimaced at the sight of her hair, yanking it out of the bun as she continued on her way to answer the delivery. The bell rang again.

"Coming!" She called sweetly, jogging up to the door with a light patter and opening it as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair. Opening the door, she ran a hand through her mass of locks, working out the tangles, and smiled at the figure on the other side. It was a fairly handsome guy, probably in his early to mid-twenties, with a tall, lean build and vaguely defined muscles. There were a few noticeable tattoos working their way up his arms and underneath the sleeves of the pizza company tee-shirt, paired with a gauge in his ear (which usually grossed her out) and an eyebrow piercing. The dark chinstrap beard somehow brought it all together so he seemed to pull it off and seem somewhat handsome, despite not being her type. For his part, he seemed pleasantly surprised to see her and made no effort to hide his gaze as it swept up and down her form.

He smirked, meeting her eyes and moving his eyebrows up as he greeted her, "Hey." The girl blushed with flattery and smiled politely back. It was silent for a few seconds, and when he didn't continue or hand her the pizza, she responded.

"Hi…" His grin widened, which Sissy found odd considering all she did was greet him.

"How's it goin'?" Really, he wasn't just going to give her the pizza? She decided to wrap this up, flattering though it may have been. He was still kind of… not right for her personality. She had long ago decided that she was only dating men she felt comfortable with having around Amaryl, and he didn't exactly seem like a positive influence.

"I'm well, thank you. Just give me a moment, I've gotta grab the money and I left my wallet in the other room." He stepped over the threshold and looked around the foyer as she turned to scurry into the other room. She could practically feel his eyes boring into her ass. The boy was cute, but sleazy. Returning with her wallet, she asked how much it was. He stepped closer, and she knew he was looking down her shirt as he answered. She shifted uncomfortably from the invasion of personal space.

"$12.50… but babe, listen, why don't we forget that n' you can pay me back by keeping me company for the rest of my deliveries tonight. I'll only be another hour…" The rest of the suggestion hung unspoken and heavy in the air, and she forced on a smile. As he placed the pizza beside a vase on the table, he made sure to brush her hip.

"Um, I'm sorry no… I've gotta stay in with my little sister… but, uh, thank you…"

Reaching out to play with a strand of her hair, he raised an eyebrow, "I could come back."

"No," she stepped back, out of his reach, "I really don't think that would be appropriate, I'm sorry. Here's your money, keep the change." She handed him a twenty dollar bill, desperate to get him out of the house, but he grasped her hand with it.

"That's a shame… look why don't we step outside for a sec, babe." He tugged her forward slightly so their chests collided. She pushed away nervously, with both hands firmly on his chest.

"I can't, I really have to go eat with my sister. Thank you for the pizza, have a nice night."

"Alright," he smirked with gritted teeth, losing his patience, "I'll call you."

Shaking her head, she refused, "I'm sorry, I'm not giving you my number." He held up a slip of paper in response.

"I have it, for the delivery." He moved his face close in and she leaned back, meeting the wall, "I'll see you _real_ soon, babe." His hand stroked her hip as the girl bit her lip nervously, heard pounding against her chest.

"Please stop- get off of me! Give me the paper and leave." Instead he moved in closer, intending to kiss her. A sturdy white hand appeared on his shoulder.

"I believe you were asked, more than once, to leave." The delivery boy jumped back, stumbling against the open front door. Before them stood a man that could be no older than in his early twenties, average height with a stocky build. He was quite handsome, his features chiseled and skin a chalky white. His pallor, paired with the aura of wisdom and raw animal power, made his identity as a vampire unmistakable.

The strange vampire kept his voice calm and his expression even as he continued, "I suggest you do so."

"Y-y-yes, s-sir!" The boy scampered out the door like a coward, all but sprinting to his car. It would have been comical, were Cecilia not shaken from the encounter and preoccupied by the sudden appearance of another strange man. She hadn't invited him in, so she assumed he must have been a friend of Eric's or Bill's or whoever owned the house. He looked at her discerningly but not unkindly- quite the opposite, there was warmth in his gaze that seemed to burn through his inherent vampire coldness in a way Sissy had never seen before. He did not step closer to her, respecting her unease, but his gaze and words made it feel as though he was right beside her offering comfort in his very presence.

"Are you alright, miss?" His accent was not southern, voice breathy and low.

"Yeah… thank you, for that. I really don't know how I would've handled him…" There was a slight pause, Sissy wondering how to introduce herself without looking completely ridiculous. Uncertainly, she stretched out a hand.

"I'm Cecilia."

He smiled warmly, grasping it in his cool grip, "Welcome. My name is Godric. May I join you for dinner?" She smiled shakily back, still calming but quickly warming up to this new stranger. She didn't question why he would want to watch a human eat when he so obviously would not partake. For a moment, she nearly forgot what he was before the fact renewed its omnipresence in her mind. She tried not to let an individual's status as a vampire color her opinion of them, really Sissy did, but it was sometimes difficult not to think about the inherent danger they represented, especially around Amaryl. It was a guilty war that raged across her conscience, reminding her of those vampires who had attacked her only last night while this one saved her only moments ago. It was dizzying.

"Yeah, absolutely, please do." She gathered the pizza, but did not yet make a move toward the kitchen, "My little sister's eating, too."

He nodded, "I am aware, Ms. St John. Eric told me that you ladies would be staying with us for a time and informed me of your current situation. I offer my condolences."

"Thank you, Godric, I appreciate it… You can call me Sissy, everyone does." His smile seemed to shift to vague amusement.

"And why is that?"

She blushed, "When Amaryl, my sister, was younger, she couldn't pronounce Cecilia; so, she shortened it to Sissy. It just sort of stuck… not much of a story, I know, but I think it's the little things that shape you." His short chuckle was kind, if not jaded, and he gestured to the doorway.

"No, Sissy, that is a wonderful story. But speaking of your sister, I think she is still waiting eagerly for you. Shall we?"

"Right… So you've been friends with Eric for a while?"

"Yes, over a century… I am Eric's maker, and this is my nest." Sissy started at that, fumbling the pizza box.

"Wait- this isn't Eric's house?!" The fact that she was so taken aback seemed to amuse him somewhat, and he offered a comforting smile as he reached out, steadying her hands and taking the box.

"No, it has been my home for quite some time."

"Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry, Godric- I have been so incredibly rude." Cecilia was mortified that this much time had been spent in his home and in his presence without the sense to thank him for his hospitality. She hadn't even stopped to consider that perhaps someone else was helping them, instead assuming Eric and Sookie would take care of everything. She flushed deeply.

"Thank you so much for taking us in right now. I don't know what we can ever do to repay you, this was so amazing. Thank you for your hospitality- I mean, you don't even know us- this is so generous, I-" she stuttered and trailed off, uncertain of how to properly thank him. What did one say to a man who let you hide in his house when murderous vampires were after you, saved you from an over-sexed horn dog, and carried a box of pizza he couldn't even eat. The man was just about a saint, she thought.

"Think nothing of it, please. My nest has grown quite lonely as of late, and I relish the additional company." The pair continued into the kitchen, where Amaryl sat eagerly at her plate, feet swinging as she bit her lower lip. A tuft of downy curls had fallen into her face as her blue eyes swept over the man's form curiously, uncertain perplexity in her gaze.

Sissy dropped the box on the table as she came around behind the child, "Amaryl, this is Godric. He owns this house and is gonna let us stay here for a while. What do you say?" Brushing a hand across her forehead, she smoothed back the soft chestnut hair and placed a soft, affectionate kiss to her crown.

"Thank you…" She tilted her head up to look at her sister, "Can I please have pizza now?" Sissy giggled, and she was certain she heard a light snort of amusement come from Godric.

"Yes, you _may_."

* * *

**End of Chapter**

R_S: Guys, definitely give me some feedback on how I'm doing- I really do need to know if I'm keeping Godric in character during this story. It's quite a challenge. If anyone would be able to look over chapters and make sure, or can suggest someone, that'd be great. I don't want to try and sift through all the Betas to find one who'd be willing to do a GodricxOC story.


	8. Texas Interlude

R_S: So, here's chapter 8 (finally). Sorry for the delay- I had it 2/3 written and then just ran out of time/steam/inspiration… I always find it hard to update stories for shows in-between seasons, because I'm not watching them and getting a feel for the characters. Then it's hard _during_ seasons, because knowing that it doesn't correctly fit into the timeline irks me. Oh well; I just can't win.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Texas Interlude**

Upon the others' return, more light was shed upon Godric's identity. Sookie recounted the tale of how they first met, and apparently he made a habit of rescuing damsels in distress. What a shame- Sissy had thought she was something special (that bit of sarcasm didn't exactly garner the chuckle she was hoping for, but oh well). It was nice to know someone so noble. It was the kind of thing that showed through him like a light, illuminating like an aura, and somehow she knew more about him than she should without a word ever spoken. Even Amaryl seemed to revere, if not fear, him the moment she saw him walk through the door, but he was warm to her and kind, and she grew accustomed to him quickly. He seemed to hold her attention far more than Sissy, who usually stood as the light in the young girl's world. She peppered him with questions, told him the meaningless thoughts that spewed from a six-year-old, but Godric took it in stride, with a warm, tired smile and kind eyes. There was a soft warmth about him, one you wouldn't expect given the obvious raw power he exuded.

After dinner, when Amaryl was put to bed, Sissy happened upon him lingering in the living room, staring out the large panoramic windows wistfully. He seemed so unhappy and so lost that it unnerved her, because he was so different than any vampire she had ever known. He was collected and cool but warm and kind, and he seemed to have an almost god-like omniscience that poured from him in calming waves. He was comfortable to be around after all the insanity that had taken hold of her life, and with minimal abashment, she found herself beside him.

"Sissy… I trust you rooms are to your liking?" He did not turn his head to look at her with his greeting, but though she could not see his eyes, she wondered if perhaps she felt his gaze wash over her.

Cecilia nodded, facing him, "Yes, thank you… You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you."

Another pause spread between them, companionable and not awkward, but nonetheless she felt inclined to fill it.

"Godric… you've been nothing but kind to us, and we appreciate it more than I can ever say. I just… please don't let us be a bother to you. You've all shown us more generosity than I could ever have fathomed, and I- we really don't want to take advantage-"

"Please, none of that, child. You are welcome in my home for as long as you see fit. As I have said, my nest has grown quite lonesome and empty as of late. Your presence is refreshing, a relief even. So do not bring up such concerns again; you are a more than welcome guest." She looked uncertain, meeting his gaze shyly, but nodded, lip caught between her teeth.

"Alright. But promise to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you."

His smile was warm, and though it should have felt patronizing, it did not, "I will, thank you." Another silence set between them, but this time Sissy reveled in the comfort of it for a while before curiosity got the best of her.

"So… somebody mentioned something about you being a prince or something." It wasn't a question, but she knew he understood.

"No, I was never king. I had been offered a position as King of Texas, but I declined and chose to remain as Sherriff of area 9. But I have stepped down and passed on the position to one of my previous underlings."

"Why aren't you Sherriff anymore? That is, if you don't mind my asking! I'm sorry that was really rude of me, you don't have to answer that." She blushed delicately, looking down at her feet with a finger twirled in her hair. At the sound of Godric's chuckling, her head shot back up to look at him.

"I don't mind. There were some issues regarding vampire and human relations that I felt I did not aptly handle, and I stepped down from my position under the personal opinion that I was not the most competent one for the job. I see now that I was correct; Isabel is a far greater Sherriff than I ever was."

"I find it hard to imagine you could be bad at anything. I mean, you always seem so calm and in control…" There was a slight pause before she asked, "Do you think you'd ever go back to it? To a position like Sherriff, I mean." Godric was quiet for a moment, and the only sound was that of the wind whispering through the trees and in through the open window.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, "I grow weary of politics. It is all so complicated, and there is never any real solution. I fear that at my age, after millennia, I am too tired to continue to try." Cecilia nodded understandingly, though she knew she really could never understand.

"Do you follow politics, Ms. St John?" He asked after a moment's silence. She laughed lightly and shook her head.

"I'm ashamed to say that I don't, not much. I mean, I follow the big stuff, like wars and the president and current events, but I couldn't tell you who the senators from my state are. And, since leaving New York, I've fallen even more out of the loop. I guess I kind of share your view on the whole thing; I've got my opinions, but no matter how much you argue with someone, no one's going to give in, so what's the point? Anyway, my stepfather has always been very involved and opinionated with politics, and when I was younger, I refused to learn about it just to spite him. Childish, I know."

Godric smiled softly at her, "Some people bring out regrettable traits in us." She smiled back.

"And some bring out the best."

"You are a fascinating creature, Ms. St John, it is no wonder Eric finds himself so drawn to you. As I am certain you are aware, he is an exceptionally strong vampire…"

She blushed lightly at his prodding, though he was neither intrusive nor discomforting, "Oh no! Eric and I aren't anything. Really, I'm so thankful for everything he's done and working for him is surprisingly… not horrible, but he's no more than a close friend."

"I see… so I gather you do not return his affections?" He turned to regard her, expression interested yet gentle, nonjudgmental. She looked down in shame, knowing that she was about to reject Eric through his maker. Somehow that made her feel somewhat cruel, to say it to someone he respected and revered so intensely before admitting it to him. She attempted to sidestep the question.

"Can vampires feel human affection?" She hoped he would launch into some sort of philosophical analysis of vampire anthropomorphism and move on from the subject. Unfortunately, his two thousand years of experience seemed to have left him immune to conversational redirection.

"I believe you know the answer to that, having spent such an extended period of time in the company of Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse. Do you not feel Eric expresses the same intent?" Cecilia did not respond immediately, instead gazing out the window toward the night sky. It was beautiful, she decided, and comforting, two things that seemed to encompass Godric with an odd entirety. Finally she looked back to the man and spoke, though her eyes drifted downward almost immediately.

"I don't think he wants to be with me as much as he wants to own me, but I… I don't think I could ever love Eric, simply because I don't think Eric could ever love. He doesn't share that humanity that seems so obvious in Bill… and in you. His actions, his words… they're cold, calculated, with distinct purpose. I don't want to be possessed, I want to be loved, and that's something I don't think he can ever give me. And even if he could, I don't think I could give my love to a man so vengeful and cruel. I've known him to kill too readily, to use violence when it really wasn't necessary, and he's not sorry for it… probably never will be." She looked Godric in the eye as she finished, somehow unashamed that she had spilled such raw truthfulness to him.

"I'm afraid of him."

* * *

"Eric, come in here please. I wish to speak with you." It was much deeper into the night, when all the humans in the household had curled into their beds for the night. Bill had followed Sookie to her room to hold her as she slept and feel her warmth spread onto his own form, a small luxury in which he occasionally indulged to connect himself to his previous humanity. Sissy had woken from a fitful nightmare, one brought on by the vampires that had attacked her in Bon Temps, and was wandering though the house with a glass of water in an effort to collect her thoughts. Godric had retired to his study, mulling over something that his progeny noticed had seemed to be bothering him for the greater portion of the night. He had been deep in thought for quite some time, and it was when Eric had been loitering nearby, wondering what had preoccupied the man so, that he was summoned.

"What is it you require?" He knelt obediently before his maker, whose head was turned to the window. Passing by, Sissy heard the men's voices and paused. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she hardly thought they would not immediately sense her presence. Despite such an assumption, they seemed preoccupied.

"Eric…" his voice was even and emotionless, "in all my years as your maker, while I have at times disapproved of some of your actions, I have always been proud to call you my child. This is the first time I have come to question that." He turned to him with cold, vaguely angry eyes, and Eric had difficulty masking how taken aback he was by this sudden, cruel berating.

"Godric-"

"You are aware that it has been a goal of mine for vampires and humans to coexist peacefully for quite some time, and you even act in ways to aid me by managing Fangtasia. And yet, you are no better than any other selfish vampire, preying upon humans. You bring these girls here, and I expect to be proud of you, to see you protecting them. Instead I find you playing with Ms. St John's feelings, making her fear you yet forcing her to trust you, implying that you desire her and leading even me to believe that it is so. I expect you to act admirably, to set an example. And yet here you are, acting in this deplorable manner that feeds the fires of the media. Only this is worse, for you hide behind a façade of dignified justice." His voice had grown slightly heated at this point, leaving no room for Eric to misinterpret his anger.

"These girls are innocent, and they have done nothing to you. But you choose to use them and manipulate them as a tool to further manipulate Ms. Stackhouse, a woman who has time and time again proven herself to be worthy of our respect. It has become clear to me, though I have tried to deny myself this truth for quite some time in the hopes that you might change your ways, that you do not respect humans as anything near equals, as I wish you to. You remember my lieutenant, Stan, and how, while he was a loyal supporter, he did not share my views on the treatment of humans. It was this disrespect and underestimation that led to his regrettable undoing. Eric, my child, you must be forewarned that should you continue down such a parallel path, you may befall the same unfortunate fate. I will now allow you to explain yourself, and I expect to hear reasonable explanation for your behavior, if not an apology of contrite penitence."

Cecilia did not linger to hear his response, feeling ashamed enough to have lingered as long as she did.

* * *

In the morning, Sissy awoke feeling unrested and unfulfilled. Guilt gnawed at her stomach, consuming her with thoughts of what she should not have heard or known. But come nightfall both that day and the many that followed, there was no indication that such a conversation had even happened. Eric was ever the same, sarcastic and dark yet reverent of his maker, and Godric regarded him with the same tired affection. She gave no indication of her knowledge about their conversation. Only Sookie knew, for Sissy's fretting had led her to project her thoughts almost immediately, but the blond soothed her worry as best she could, assuring her that Godric would take no offense at her accidental breech of privacy (though 'accidental' may have been a bit of an overstatement). Still, time passed with no mention or hint of the discussion, and the group fell into a comfortable routine, every night listening to Amaryl get sung to sleep. Godric and Sissy in particular spent much time together, he looking out into the darkness as she came to curl beside him with a hot cup of tea or cocoa. There was comfort in his presence, to her, a protection she could not put into words. She never spoke first, waited for him to initiate the conversation, and though some nights the silence spread for over an hour, the vampire never failed to have some question- about her life, her family, her dreams. She told him much, leaving out little, but she never mentioned the fact that Amaryl and she had run away. He knew, she figured, but it wasn't exactly something she was proud of, especially not in the past few weeks. There were probably- no, _definitely_ better ways to have handled that situation, and though she would not trade this adventure and all her new friends for anything, it was still a decision that she did not want to dwell on. It was only a matter of time before the sisters' new life unraveled and they were forced to face reality, but for now Cecilia was content to settle into the softness of this enigmatic man's couch and enjoy the sanctuary. The closest they ever came to discussing her reason for being in the South was when she spoke of her father, how she missed him and hoped to find him and the issues between her mother and he.

"I used to envy other children so much, wonder what it was like to be born to parents who loved each other, even if it was only once upon a time." She told him, running the pad of her finger around the rim of the tea mug. Godric was relaxed against the arm of the couch. He was always comfortable around the girl, more so than Eric had seen him in centuries.

"What makes you think your parents did not love each other?"

"They're not together. When you truly love someone, things work out and you make it so you can be together." She knew it sounded naïve, even to her ears, but she appreciated that he didn't say anything.

"Do you not believe in the old adage? I believe it goes 'if you truly love something, you should set it free, and if it loves you, it shall return.'"

Sissy nodded, golden gaze flickering up to him, "Of course, but isn't that my point? When you're in love, freedom doesn't matter; there's only one place to be, one person to be with. If that was true for my parents, my father would be with my mother now. If he ever loved her, he would at least want to know where she was… sometimes I think that, if he had ever loved me, I would know where he was."

Before Godric could respond, offer even the smallest modicum of comfort, Jason stepped into the room looking bashful. It was as though he was embarrassed to be interrupting something, like he knew what they were speaking of, but then again, it seemed to Sissy that he always seemed a little reluctant to come talk to the two of them when they were together. He was never shy around her, though, so she thought perhaps it was the vampire who intimidated him.

"Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt, but there's some guy here to see ya, Godric." He nodded once, eyes darting to Sissy for a moment, before he rose gracefully and glided out of the room, thanking Jason on his way. The Stackhouse boy moved to take his place, only closer to Sissy, curling an arm around her.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" Using the opposite hand, he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing… I was just talking about my father."

Jason nodded, licking his lips, "You, uh, don't talk bout him much no more. Is there anything new?"

"No, I just… I don't know, it just kind of came up, I guess." She giggled, feeling slightly embarrassed at how much she had gotten into the habit of sharing with Godric but also feeling a little lighter. Jason had that cheering effect on everybody.

"So," she coughed, curling more into the crook of his arm, "what've you been up to?"

He shrugged, "Not much; Bill n' Sook are off doin' I don't wanna know what, n' you n' Godric were in here, so I've been keepin' to myself mostly." Sissy nudged him.

"Well why didn't you join us?"

"I dunno… just seems like the time you spend talkin' to Godric is your favorite part of the day- er, night. I didn't wanna interrupt anything."

"You wouldn't be interrupting." She blushed as she said it, a small part feeling like it wasn't true- a tiny, selfish part of her that reveled in the vampire's attention and, though she could not put her finger on why, _would_ have seen Jason's company as an invasion. An unparalleled guilt accompanied the feeling, so she pushed it away and looked up at him in earnest.

"You've done so much for us, Jason… don't ever think you aren't welcome." He smiled back down at her and kissed her temple softly.

"Thanks… but it's ok. I get that you're attached to Godric, makes sense that you'd feel safe around him. He's a real swell vamp, saved my sister more'n once."

She nodded, "Yeah, he's pretty fantastic… I know that there's more to the story than I know, but I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want him as Sherriff, y'know? Especially compared to Eric." She shot him a wink before turning back to look outside and enjoyed the laugh it garnered in response. A soft quiet set in between them before Jason dropped a secret unceremoniously.

"Y'know after everything with the Fellowship, Godric tried to go all vampire suicide on us."

"What?!" Cecilia flipped around to face Jason in alarm.

He nodded, "Yep, he was gonna meet the sun on the roof of some hotel, but he didn't. I dunno why, guess he felt guilty leavin' behind so many people who cared 'bout him. In case y'all haven't noticed, he's real respected n' liked in most parts. Even though he didn't kill himself, he still retired, and when he did he got all commemorated." Sissy nodded shakily.

"Yeah, I'd uh, imagine…" It was a lot to wrap her head around, the idea that someone so calm and seemingly… _perfect_ would want to go through with that. It was an unsettling thought, and it brought something crashing down around her- what, she wasn't sure. But Godric had always been this visage of morality and unwavering strength, to think of him as anything else just seemed wrong. The pedestal he had been on crumbled before her eyes, bringing him closer to her level. Suddenly the jaded pain in his eyes did not seem so distant and inexplicable, it seemed comprehensible to her. She must have looked shaken, because Jason shifted in discomfort.

"Shit, I shouldn't have said anythin'. I'm sorry, Sissy, just… just forget it, it prolly wasn't my place to tell ya anyway." He pulled away from her and rubbed a hand in a gentle circle around her back.

"N-no, what are you apologizing for?"

"I dunno… you just seem upset, all of a sudden."

"I'm fine." She sent him a weak, forced smile, "Really, Jase." From the hall, she heard Godric and the visiting man make their way toward the kitchen speaking amicably. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but it obviously wasn't anything to secretive, as they paid little mind to the volume of their speech and who could hear. It was strange to think that he would do something like that, but after the initial shock wore off, not as upsetting as she thought. In fact, he still seemed larger than life and somehow even more perfect in his imperfection. If anything, it made the gap between them bridged somehow; if there was any chance of her keeping secrets from him, they were gone now. He was so… human now. It had always been something she was aware of, that vampires were human once, but sometimes it was hard to bridge that image with the beings she saw before her. Never could she imagine Eric as a simple being like herself, and for different reasons nor could she have Godric. Now, though, there was a connection she felt more strongly than before. There was an itch in her chest, a desire to see him.

Cecilia was jarred from her lackadaisical musings as Jason took her mug and pulled her to her feet.

"C'mon, whatever they're talkin' about doesn't sound too important. Let's interrupt and grab some ice cream."

She grinned, ignoring the excitement of the thought, "Sounds good."

Later, she would learn that perhaps it would have been better to remain where she was.

**End of Chapter**

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R_S: So, tell me what you think. Again, if you have any advice for keep Godric from getting too OOC, let me know. Sorry for the very touch-and-go updates. I have a lot planned out with the story and bits and pieces written, it's just gotten to be a chore to string them all together. Love y'all, and love reviews too! :p


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